Following a record torrential rain striking West Japan including Hiroshima prefecture, Hiroshima University established “Hiroshima University Disaster Investigation Team for Torrential Rain of 2018" on July 11th, representing the local national universities.

The Team will be comprised of disaster prevention experts from HU, who will conduct investigations and analyses into/of debris flow, slope disaster, hydrometeorological phenomenon, flooding/overflow, and damage to life lines from the experts’ point of view. Ultimately, the Team will aim at making a proposal for the reconstruction/rebuilding of the towns concerned. 
The overview of the team is shown below:

From the point of view of an academic institution, we aim at the following:

• To investigate the areas affected by the record torrential rain which has struck West Japan
• To make a proposal for reconstruction/rebuilding of the towns

Team Leader: Dr. Mitsuo Ochi (President of HU)

Groups that have been set up:

• The Group for Debris Flow and Slope Disaster (Dr. Takashi Tsuchida, Group Leader/Professor of Graduate School of Engineering)
• The Group for Hydrometeorological phenomenon and Flooding/Overflow (Dr. Yoshihisa Kawahara, Group Leader/Dean of Graduate School of Engineering)
• The Group for Damage to Life Lines (Dr. Akimasa Fujiwara, Group Leader/Dean of Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation)

(For the time being, the team will operate with about 20 members. More members are likely to join the Team afterwards.)

July 11th, 2018 - July 10th, 2020

• The Group for Debris Flow and Slope Disaster:
  Investigating landslide disaster in collaboration with the following: the Committee of Geotechnical Engineering at JSCE (Japan Society of Civil Society); Japanese Geotechnical Society; Architectural Institute of Japan; and Japan Society of Erosion Control Engineering.
• The Group for Hydrometeorological phenomenon and Flooding/Overflow:
  Investigating flooding and overflow of rivers in collaboration with the Committee on Hydro-science and Hydraulic Engineering.
• The Group for Damage to Life Lines:
  Conducting an investigation regarding blockages and restorations of the transportation network, flow and storage of everyday goods etc. in collaboration with the Committee of Infrastructure Planning and Management.

The first team meeting will be held in about two weeks, and an interim report will be drawn up.