Torrential rain in Noto Peninsula to be designated a severe disaster, Ishiba says

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday that the government plans to classify the torrential rain that struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture in September as a severe disaster.

Ishiba announced the plan during a visit to areas damaged heavily by the rain as well as the powerful Jan. 1 earthquake that jolted the peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, following a request for aid from Ishikawa Gov. Hiroshi Hase, who accompanied him on the visit.

The designation will raise the central government’s subsidy rate for relevant local governments’ reconstruction projects for public infrastructure and farmland.