Delays and lack of awareness magnify damage

MABI, Japan - When Isao Akutagawa moved to the sleepy riverside town of Mabi in western Japan 45 years ago, it seemed like the perfect suburb to raise his children.

Land was cheap and he could drive to his job in nearby Kurashiki City. As he built his home next to rice paddies 2 kilometers from the Odagawa river bank, he heard stories about a flood the year before, but didn't pay much notice until local politicians began warning residents it could happen again.

"They told us years ago that the Odagawa river levees might break," said Akutagawa, 79, as he mopped muddy water out of his living room. His home was submerged in a sudden flood earlier this month when heavy rain caused multiple levees to break.