Japanese authorities on Tuesday issued an evacuation warning for more than 180,000 residents of a city in the west of the country because of strong tropical storm Lan, which left a trail of destruction with gusty winds and heavy rain.
Turning into a tropical storm from a typhoon, Lan made landfall around 5 a.m. (9 p.m. Monday in Lisbon) near Cape Shionomisaki in Wakayama central prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency Japan (JMA).
The town of Tottori, which faces the Sea of Japan, has issued a high-level evacuation advisory for about 182,000 residents, while the JMA warned of heavy rainfall “unprecedented” in the region.
#BREAK #Japan Situation is critical in Japan. Video footage of river flooding and heavy rain due to Typhoon lan passing in Shionomisaki, Japan pic.twitter.com/Fi2tamEnPy
— National Independent (@NationalIndNews) August 15, 2023
Local authorities advised residents to take shelter in safer locations, such as community centers.
“Lives are in danger. Residents are in a situation where immediate personal safety must be ensured,” warned Satoshi Sugimoto of the Japan Meteorological Agency.to journalists.
Sugimoto urged people in the area to seek higher ground because of the risk of flooding.
More than 50,000 homes were left without power in nine prefectures in the central and western regions, including Osaka, Wakayama, Mie and Kyoto.
According to a local operator, 9,200 homes are still without power.
Lan brought wind gusts of up to 90 miles per hour and was heading northwest, though the JMA expects it to turn east to Hokkaido Island across the waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula.
In Wakayama, two people were injured.
Part of a pedestrian bridge in Kyoto was destroyed and trains were halted due to debris.
In Maizuru, north of Kyoto, a river burst its banks, sending streams of water and mud into some houses.
In Nara, south of Kyoto, a building scaffolding collapsed and the partial collapse of a wall at a train station in Tsuruhashi, Osaka Prefecture, disrupted local train services.
The JMA forecast up to 400 millimeters of rain in the Tokai region, in central Japan, through Wednesday morning.
There is currently significant flash flooding in southwest Japan as Typhoon Lan passes through the region. Precipitation totals in the last 24 hours exceed 500 mm (20 in) in some places. Top-level emergency warnings are in effect for parts of Tottori prefecture. pic.twitter.com/ae9qgMSblD
– Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) August 15, 2023
The agency urged residents in the area to stay indoors and warned of possible landslides, floods and storms.
Tens of thousands of homes in western and central Japan are without power as severe tropical storm Lan ravages the country’s main island. At least 15 people were injured. Many residents have fled. pic.twitter.com/G3Of2SAomk
– NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) August 15, 2023
‼️ ⚠️❗ALERT – JAPAN: Typhoon Lan is approaching Honshu with winds of 157 km/h, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane
The Typhoon is expected to make landfall within 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/6KslIOoVLx
– {Matt} $XRPatriot (@matttttt187) August 15, 2023
The storm, which hit Japan during the Buddhist Bon holiday, which commemorates the dead, affected many Japanese who wanted to travel as many carriers decided to suspend services.
Central Japan Railway Co. said operations on the Shinkansen express train between Nagoya, in central Japan, and Okayama, in the west, will be suspended today and service between the capital Tokyo and Nagoya has been reduced.
Highways in the area were also closed and about 800 domestic flights scheduled for the day were canceled, forcing many people to spend the night at Osaka airport.
Representatives from several municipalities canceled plans to participate in an annual commemoration on August 15, 1945, marking the end of World War II.
Japan’s annual high school baseball tournament, a hugely popular event in the country, was also affected. The games scheduled for today at Koshien Stadium in Hyogo Prefecture have been postponed to Wednesday.
Source: DN
