Power Largely Restored 1 Month after Noto Peninsula Earthquake; over 40,000 Households Still without Running Water

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:19 JST, January 31, 2024

KANAZAWA — Hokuriku Electric Power Co. announced Wednesday that power has been largely restored in the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, except some areas which are still hard to access.

About 2,500 households over six municipalities, including Wajima and Suzu, are still without electricity one month on from the earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day.

According to Hokuriku Electric, about 40,000 households were without power immediately after the disaster, and restoration works have been carried out with support from other power companies.

However, in the northwestern part of Wajima and other areas where roads have been damaged by landslides, it is expected to take at least two more months to restore power.

As for water, more than 110,000 households in 16 towns and cities lost water service immediately after the quake. As of Wednesday, 40,890 households in eight municipalities still cannot use water at home.

Telecommunications also remain disrupted in some areas. As of Wednesday, a total of 122 cell phone towers operated by NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and two other major companies are out of service, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said.

A total of 58 post offices, mostly in Ishikawa Prefecture, are suspending counter operations as of Wednesday.