Hurricane Tracker Shows Typhoon Dujuan Leaves Four Dead and Six Missing in Japan
Reporting based primarily on japantimes.co.jp.
Typhoon Dujuan has left at least four people dead and six missing in Japan's Kanto region after bringing record-breaking rainfall that triggered landslides and flooding, according to hurricane tracker reports.
Death Toll and Missing Persons
Four people have been confirmed dead and at least six were missing Tuesday morning after Typhoon Dujuan brought record-breaking rainfall to eastern Japan, triggering landslides, flooding and widespread transport disruptions. [3] Police, firefighters and the Self-Defense Forces are conducting search operations in Chiba and Kanagawa Prefectures, where a series of landslides struck homes. [3] In the city of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, a 64-year-old woman was pronounced dead after being found inside her home. [3] Mud and debris had flowed into the first floor of the two-story building. [3] About a kilometer away, a couple in their 70s went missing after another landslide struck their home. [3] Two other people were also missing in the nearby city of Miura. [3] Mud and debris flowed into the first floor of an apartment building, leaving a woman in her 20s unaccounted for. [3] In another area of the city, one woman is missing after a landslide damaged the building she lives in. [3] In Chiba Prefecture, a 51-year-old worker died after he and the heavy machinery he was operating fell into a bamboo grove while he was removing mud and debris from a road in the city of Sodegaura. [3] A landslide had occurred around the site, and police are investigating the incident. [3] Two women, one in her 70s in the city of Kamogawa and another in her 80s in the city of Sanmu, both in Chiba Prefecture, were also killed when landslides caused homes to collapse. [3] Two other men were missing in Kamogawa. [3]
Record Rainfall and Landslide Warnings
The storm had prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency on Monday to issue its highest-level landslide special warning for parts of the Izu Islands, including Oshima. [3] In the 48 hours through 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, rainfall reached 832 millimeters — the highest amount on record — in Oshima, part of Tokyo’s Izu island chain. [3] Some 325 mm of rain fell in Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward Rinkai area in the 48 hours through 6:10 a.m Tuesday. [3] Record-breaking rainfall was also seen in surrounding prefectures. [3] The Sakahata area of the city of Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture, recorded 476.5 mm of rain in the 48 hours leading up to 1:50 a.m. Tuesday, and the city of Ichihara, also in Chiba Prefecture, recorded 487 mm in the 48 hours leading up to 2:40 a.m. [3] Landslides can occur even after rain has stopped because of water accumulated in the soil. [3] The JMA urged people in the Kanto region to remain on high alert for landslides on Tuesday and to continue watching out for flooding in low-lying areas and rising or overflowing rivers. [3]
Power Outages and Transport Disruptions
The typhoon also continued to disrupt daily life Tuesday morning. [3] Some 48,320 households across four prefectures were without electricity as of 9:45 a.m., according to Tokyo Electric Power Grid, with the vast majority of outages in Chiba Prefecture. [3] Outages were also reported in Kanagawa, Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. [3] Rail operators also suspended or canceled some services from the first trains Tuesday, including sections of East Japan Railway Co.’s Sobu, Narita and Sotobo lines. [3] Keikyu also suspended services in both directions between Kanazawa-hakkei and Uraga stations, as well as between Horinouchi and Misakiguchi stations. [3] The Haneda area of the capital’s Ota Ward received 261.5 mm of rain in the 48 hours through 6 a.m. Tuesday, the highest amount on record, with widespread flight cancellations affecting Silver Week travelers Monday. [3]
Current Storm Position and Remaining Risks
As of Tuesday afternoon, Typhoon Dujuan was located east of Japan, according to the weather agency. [3] Although the storm has moved over to the Pacific, the agency warned that the threat has not ended because record rainfall had left the ground saturated and rivers swollen. [3] High waves and strong winds remain possible along the Pacific coasts of eastern and northeastern Japan. [3] Waves of up to 5 meters were forecast in both the Kanto and Tohoku regions Tuesday, while maximum winds of 15 meters per second, with gusts of 30 meters per second, are expected in Tohoku. [3]
Initial Casualty Reports
Typhoon Dujuan leaves two dead, 46,000 houses without power in Japan. [1] Torrential rains brought by Japan typhoon kill two, NHK says. [2]
What to watch next: Conditions are expected to improve as Dujuan moves farther from Japan, with sunny skies forecast across much of the Kanto region Tuesday, though high waves and strong winds remain possible along the Pacific coasts.
