Men at work cleaning the road from the mud in Yufu city, Oita Prefecture (Kyodo).
Typhoon Shanshan continued to wreak havoc as it reached the Japanese archipelago and moved eastward on August 30. It had caused six deaths and 100 injured as of publication. The deaths reported are connected to heavy rain and wind, flooding, swelling rivers, and landslides.
According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and local governments, three people died when a family of five was caught in a landslide in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture. In the town of Kamiita, Tokushima Prefecture, a man in his 80s was thought to have died after being trapped under a damaged house. In Kashima City, Saga Prefecture, another man in his 80s was confirmed dead after apparently being knocked down by strong winds on his way to a shrine. Also, in Chikujo, Fukuoka Prefecture, a man in his 80s was missing and believed to have died after he went to examine the swollen river.
Finally, the body of another man was found in the sea at the port in Kagoshima City on August 29. It was unclear whether his cause of death was related to the typhoon. Therefore, the case was under investigation.
Kyushu, Shikoku Hard-Hit
On August 30, record rain levels continued especially in the Western islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. Moreover, it was feared that successive storms would develop on August 31 from Tokyo to Osaka, as well as in famous tourist cities like Kyoto and Nara, known as the Kinki region.
On August 30, areas near the capital Tokyo were already affected by increased rain. There was some flooding in Hiratsuka as well as rising water levels along the Tamagawa River.
The typhoon is expected to become more of a tropical storm starting September 1. However, rainfall is expected to continue, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to urge people to remain vigilant for possible flooding and landslides.
Meanwhile, Typhoon Shanshan has also caused inconvenience to everyday transport and economic activities. Shops in affected areas such as Kochi City stayed closed to avoid the brunt of the storm. On August 30, the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen (bullet trains) were suspended.
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(Read a related article in Japanese)
Author: Arielle Busetto
