AccuWeather is predicting as much as $12.5 billion in damages throughout the Midwest after months of flooding has ravaged the region, according the the Wall Street Journal.
Catch up quick: The first half of 2019 is on its way to becoming the wettest on record due to snowmelt and flooding, largely in the Midwest, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The ensuing damage has been extremely costly to Midwestern infrastructure and industries, particularly with agriculture.
Japanese authorities ordered more than 1 million people to evacuate 3 cities in Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyushu on Wednesday, as heavy rains threatened to trigger flooding and landslides, the Japan Times reports.
The big picture: Nearly 40 inches of rain have fallen in parts of southern Kyushu since Friday, per Reuters. Forecasters warn as much as 14 inches could still fall there through Thursday. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe put the military on standby for rescues. His government was criticized last year for a slow response to heavy rains that caused landslides and floods that killed more than 200 people, Reuters notes.
