Typhoon approaching Japan's main island

[Ceewan]

Japanese weather forecasters are warning that a very powerful typhoon is bringing heavy rain and strong winds to islands in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo.

The Meteorological Agency says Typhoon Lionrock was moving northeast at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour over waters near the Izu Island chain at 6AM on Monday.

The typhoon is packing winds of more than 160 kilometers per hour (99.419 mph) near its center.

The storm is already affecting the weather in western Japan. 68 millimeters of rain fell in one hour until 6AM in a town in the southern prefecture of Tokushima.

Officials warn that more than 80 millimeters of rain per hour could fall on the southern island of Shikoku.

After passing through waters between the Izu and Ogasawara Island chains, the typhoon is projected to change course to the northwest. It is expected to approach eastern and northern Japan on Tuesday.

Officials are urging caution for rivers that may overflow their banks, as well as landslides and strong winds.

 

[AcVe09]

wow pretty powerful storm. nothing ive seen about it being reported in the states. Hope everyone stays safe, and damage to life and property is minimal. Stay safe.

 

[Ceewan]

I think the biggest fears is the amount of rain it will drop. This is a pretty fast moving storm and the winds, while not pleasant, are not going to be that bad. Now I have seen storms twice the wind speed and that tends to flatten houses but this will likely just rattle windows. Japan has had a lot of rainfall from these storms the past few weeks so their drainage system should be tested here. I would expect some flooding but at least the storm won't just sit over them and drop rain (seen that too).

 

[AcVe09]

hopefully all our favorite idols live inland.

 

[Ceewan]

Typhoon Lionrock makes landfall in Iwate


Weather officials say that the powerful storm has made landfall in Ofunato City in Iwate Prefecture. Typhoon Lionrock is traveling across the northeastern region, which was devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Lionrock is moving north at a speed of 45 kilometers per hour and is packing winds of more than 120 kilometers per hour.

The storm made land fall on the Pacific side of the Tohoku region -- the first time in recorded history a typhoon takes that course.

 

[Ceewan]

Rivers still rising in northern Japan

Heavy rain from Typhoon Lionrock has burst riverbanks and caused flooding over a wide area of northern Japan.

The typhoon made landfall early Tuesday evening in Iwate Prefecture and has since turned into a severe tropical storm.

Japan's Meteorological Agency says damp air flowed toward the storm when it was located off the west coast of Hokkaido, pushing clouds with downpours over the island.

Agency officials say parts of Hokkaido and Iwate prefecture have been hit by more than 300 millimeters of rain since Monday, exceeding the average for the entire month of August.

The Land Ministry says the town of Minamifurano in central Hokkaido got a record 500 millimeters of precipitation.

Rivers in Iwate and Hokkaido are overflowing and breaching embankments, causing widespread flooding.
Authorities have issued landslide warnings in parts of Iwate Prefecture.

The rain has let up in most areas, but unstable atmospheric conditions are expected to continue.

The Meteorological Agency is calling on people to stay alert for overflowing rivers, mudslides, flooding in low-lying areas, high waves, lightning and tornadoes.

 

[Ceewan]

9 elderly found dead in flooded care home


Police are trying to identify 9 bodies found at a nursing home in a flood-hit town in northeastern Japan.

Officers discovered the bodies at the facility in Iwaizumi Town in Iwate Prefecture on Wednesday. Police say all of the victims are elderly and were likely residents of the home, which is located near a river.

The nursing home, along with another care facility in the same complex, was flooded after the river overflowed its banks when Typhoon Lionrock hit the region on Tuesday.

Iwaizumi town officials say they first received a phone call on Tuesday night from a care provider at another nursing facility in the complex.

The staffer reportedly told an official that all residents and employees at their facility had evacuated to the building's third floor, but that people in the other care facility named Ranran had not been able to do so.

Iwate Prefecture says Ranran is a group home for elderly people suffering from dementia, housed in a wooden, single-floor building.

They say that as of August last year, 9 people lived there, looked after by 10 care providers.

Heavy rains from Typhoon Lionrock left 2 other people dead in Iwate Prefecture and 3 missing in Hokkaido.

 

[Ceewan]

This is from The Mainichi but the above reports are from NHK. Mainichi does better in-depth but NHK offers better updates.

Heavy rain in Hokkaido causes flooding, leaves 3 men missing



SAPPORO -- Heavy rain that continued to fall in Hokkaido on Aug. 31 caused rivers to swell, flooding residential areas and leaving three men missing, police and other sources said.

Local governments have issued evacuation orders or advisories for more than 36,000 people.

At around 4:40 a.m., a dike of the Sorachi River broke in the Ikutora district of Minamifurano in central Hokkaido, flooding the center of the town.

Local fire department and Self-Defense Force (SDF) personnel are trying to rescue about 350 people in Minamifurano who have been isolated because of the flood. The first floor of the municipal health and welfare center, designated as an evacuation shelter, was flooded, forcing evacuees to move upstairs, according to the prefectural and municipal government.

"There are people stranded on the roofs of their homes or other buildings, but strong currents have hampered rescue work," said an official of the municipal government's general affairs division.

In the town of Memuro, the Memuro River swelled, flooding residential areas. At the deepest point, the water was about 60 meters deep.

"I never thought that such a disaster would occur here," said a 62-year-old man who lives in the town.

At around 2 a.m., firefighters and local government officials made rounds of the town in cars and used loudspeakers to urge local residents to flee their homes and take shelter, but residents were unable to clearly hear the messages because of the sounds of heavy rain and strong winds. In one area, residents were unable to flee because a bridge had collapsed.

Meanwhile, in the town of Shimizu, the local Pekerebetsu River swelled, sweeping away at least three houses while partially damaging another, according to town officials. The municipal government has issued an evacuation order to residents of neighborhoods affected by the disaster. No casualties have been confirmed so far.

Hokkaido Prefectural Police are searching for a car after a resident reported at around 2 a.m. that a vehicle driven by a man plunged into the Pekerebetsu River from a bridge.

An SUV also fell into the Nubinai River in the Kotoku district of Taiki from a damaged bridge at around 1:40 a.m., leaving its driver, 28-year-old Yohei Suzuki, missing and two passengers with minor injuries.

According to Hokkaido Railway Co., a bridge near Shintoku Station on the JR Nemuro Line was swept away by a flood, and limited express train services connecting Sapporo, Obihiro and Kushiro, as well as operations of other trains, have been suspended.

 

[AcVe09]

American news has covered none of this, and that is terrible. Human tragedy should prempt election coverages, and urban strife. Looks really bad there, and i feel bad that most americans know nothing about whats going on. Actually they have reported on three triopical storms in the Atlantic and Pacific, and this doesnt include this storm. There are threee active storm cells ot there now, and then this one . Hope everything will be ok.