Typhoon Hagibis hit Japan

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2019-10-13
Japan
Flood, Storm

In the aftermath of the largest typhoon to hit Japan in decades, the nation on Sunday was still assessing the scope of the damage caused by the massive storm.

Hagibis, the 19th named storm of the season, tore through Japan’s main island of Honshu on Saturday and early Sunday packing winds of up to 144 kph at landfall, killing 35 and leaving 17 unaccounted for as of Sunday afternoon, according to Kyodo News. NHK reported 166 people were injured.

Cities and towns across the country — including in Nagano, Niigata, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Kanagawa and Saitama prefectures — were inundated by flood waters after levees failed in the face of record rainfall,forcing many people to abandon submerged homes. The damage could worsen in the coming days as the water levels may rise along flooded rivers.

“I extend my condolences for all those who lost their lives and offer my sympathy to those who all those impacted by Typhoon (Hagibis),” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a ministerial meeting on the typhoon held at the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday.

Still, the damage and death toll could have been worse. The nation has recently shown how quick it is able to react and prepare in the face of such potential calamities, with disaster awareness rising more and more among the public in recent years.

Source: The Japan Times. OCT 13, 2019. BY SATOSHI SUGIYAMA. At least 35 killed and 17 missing after Typhoon Hagibis tears through country, flooding rivers and submerging cities https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/13/national/typhoon-hagibis-japan-tokyo/#.Xo0pxIgzaUk