Volunteer efforts are ramping up in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, following record-breaking rains that devastated the area over the weekend and left at least 11 dead.

As mudslides and debris choke the region, and the path to recovery seems distant, volunteers are working tirelessly to provide support to the residents.

In the Takuda district of the city of Wajima, where temporary housing units were inundated by river flooding, volunteers were seen clearing out mud from homes Wednesday. Among them was Masaki Uotani, 55, from the city of Takaoka in neighboring Toyama Prefecture, who responded to a call for help from the local government.