Almost 4 million people in southern Japan have been urged to evacuate as Typhoon Shanshan made landfall Thursday, leaving thousands of residents without power and lashing Kyushu island with hurricane-force winds, torrential rain and dangerous storm surges.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a rare emergency warning for the slow-moving storm, saying it was expected to bring damaging flooding and landslides to most of Kyushu, the country’s southernmost main island, with record rainfall expected.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled, bullet train services suspended and major companies like automaker Toyota have closed factories.
A Level 4 evacuation advisory, the second-highest alert, is in place for all of Kyushu, affecting 3.7 million residents.
Typhoon Shanshan has weakened as it slowly moves north through Kyushu as the equivalent of a Category 1 Atlantic Hurricane, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).
Areas in Japan further away from the typhoon have also been affected by its bands of stationary heavy rains.
Though Shanshan has weakened, it is moving slowly at 10 kph (7 mph) dumping huge amounts of rain onto the island.
Services on the Kyushu Shinkansen and Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen bullet trains have also been suspended.
More than 255,150 households on Kyushu were without power Thursday morning, according to Kyushu Electric Power.
Shanshan is expected to turn to the east and move through Kyushu, weakening to a tropical storm by the end of Thursday.
Typhoon Shanshan made landfall on Thursday, leaving thousands of people without power and battering Kyushu island with hurricane-force winds, torrential rain, and dangerous storm surges. As a result, almost 4 million people in southern Japan have been advised to evacuate.
Record rainfall is predicted, along with damaging flooding and landslides across much of Kyushu, the country’s southernmost main island, according to a rare emergency warning issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency for the slow-moving storm.
Major corporations like automaker Toyota have closed factories, hundreds of flights have been canceled, and bullet train services have been suspended.
Japanese officials issued their strongest typhoon alert on Thursday, alerting 57,000 people to “live-saving actions” and warning that a “life-threatening situation” was approaching for towns in the Oita prefecture of Kyushu. With a population of 30.7 million, a Level 4 evacuation advisory—the second-highest alert—is in effect for the entirety of Kyushu.
As of Thursday morning, local government offices reported that dozens of people had been injured throughout the island and that at least one person remained missing. Shanshan’s damaging wind and rains earlier this week caused a landslide that claimed the lives of three people.
At the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), typhoon Shanshan is now the strength of an Atlantic hurricane, comparable in strength to a Category 1 storm, and is slowly making its way through Kyushu. With winds of up to 185 kph (115 mph), the storm made landfall on the mainland and is now located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Sasebo.
Video from Miyazaki, near the storm’s landfall point, showed roads littered with tree branches and other debris, as well as downed electricity pylons.
The typhoon’s bands of heavy, stationary rain have also affected areas of Japan that are farther away from it.
The Crisis Management Division of Gamagori City reports that a family of five was buried in a landslide that destroyed their home late on Tuesday in central Aichi prefecture. Three people perished in the incident: a man, 30, and a couple in their 70s. One of the two 40-year-old women who were pulled alive from the wreckage suffered serious injuries.
Even though Shanshan is weaker now, it is still moving slowly—at 10 kph/7 mph—and is battering the island with a ton of rain. With powerful gusts or rainstorms that pummel the same areas for hours or days, slower storms can be more destructive.
In many places, the amount of rainfall has already exceeded 0.5 meters (20 inches), and according to forecasters, in certain remote and hilly areas, the total may rise to 1 meter (40 inches).
Yoshimasa Hayashi, the chief cabinet secretary of Japan, stated during a news conference on Thursday that “record-breaking rainfall is expected” and that officials are working to “assess the state of damage and implement emergency disaster response measures.”. “.
According to Hayashi, the storm has caused the cancellation of over 700 flights and the closure of numerous sections of the main highways that pass through Kyushu. Additional suspensions apply to services on the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen and Kyushu Shinkansen bullet trains.
According to Hayashi, “there are worries that the typhoon’s effects might spread further in the future.”.
As per Kyushu Electric Power, over 255,150 households on the island were without electricity on Thursday morning.
Major companies that have halted some operations at their factories in the storm’s path include automakers Nissan, Toyota, Honda, and Mazda.
By late Thursday, Shanshan is predicted to shift eastward and pass through Kyushu before becoming a tropical storm.
It will keep moving slowly across the southwest of Japan before moving into more central areas over the weekend and possibly into early the following week, although it will be a much weaker storm.
Widespread heavy rainfall will remain the main threat throughout the rest of Japan; some areas in Shikoku and Honshu are predicted to receive more than 0.5 meters (20 inches).
