After our last visit to Fukushima on the 13th-19th, two staff from CheFuKo visited Fukushima City and Marumori City (Miyagi Prefecture) during the 24th-28th of October.

In Fukushima, we washed and wiped down dirty cars.

We washed the car seats thoroughly until we were able to get rid of the muddy smell.

Washing the tires　　　　　　　　　　　　Washing the inside of the car

Wiping away mud

Typhoons Hagibis and Bualoi caused the rivers that connect with Abukuma River to overflow, leading to flooded houses and damage from landslides.

As we made our way to the area, we had to navigate around collapsed bridges and other roadblocks from the landslides and flooding.

Marumori City, Miyagi Prefecture                  The volunteers who arrived to help

On the way, we passed by a house with an overturned car and furniture scattered outside.

A collapsed bridge

Removing debris from landslide                     Driftwood on the side of the road
　

Bent guardrail　　　　　　　 　　            Driftwood has caused the fence to sink in

We refrained from taking pictures of the wrecked houses, which were filled with mud from the flooding.

The family we spoke to tiredly told us they would have to abandon their house.

Nearby road

The first floor of the house was flooded with approximately 30 centimetres of mud. It took the whole day just to clean it out.

Another house we visited was partially destroyed from a landslide.

The wooden frames were bent and glass was strewn everywhere. We began by cleaning out the debris by hand, then carrying out the dirty tatami mats and wardrobes and using heavy machinery to clear out the rest. We had to be very careful not to slip on the muddy ground.

Considering the damage to the nearby rice fields, we can assume the town will need much more time and effort to recover.

Temporary garbage disposal area in Marumori

CheFuKo will continue to support disaster relief efforts.