Powerful Typhoon No. 11 had diminished to a tropical depression above the west coast of Hokkaido as of 9 a.m. Monday. However, it brought record rainfall and flooded many rivers on Shikoku island and the southern part of the Kinki region on Sunday before traveling to the north above the Sea of Japan.
About 580,000 people in eight prefectures had been ordered to evacuate, and about 1.21 million people in 18 prefectures were advised to do so as of 9 a.m. Monday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. These numbers exceeded the figures from last year’s Typhoon No. 18, when about 520,000 were advised to evacuate and about 1.19 million people were instructed to do so.

As of 11 a.m. Monday, the typhoon had left one person missing in Wakayama, and 89 minor and serious injuries in 22 prefectures, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. Flooding was reported above or below floor level in about 1,700 buildings in at least 15 prefectures. Evacuation orders or advisories were issued to about 6,300 people in eight prefectures.

The strong typhoon made landfall near Aki, Kochi Prefecture, after 6 a.m. on Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. After crossing Shikoku, it also hit land near Ako, Hyogo Prefecture, and then moved to the Sea of Japan through the vicinity of Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture.
In a bay in Kata, Wakayama Prefecture, a man was swept away while surfing. The Japan Coast Guard’s Wakayama office is still searching for him.

Tochigi Pref. hit by strong winds

Around 11:30 a.m. Sunday, powerful winds hit Tochigi, Kanuma and the town of Mibu, all in Tochigi Prefecture, and destroyed the roofs of 464 buildings including residences. Two women suffered minor hand and foot injuries.
The wind-related damage occurred along a path about 7.5 kilometers long. The Utsunomiya Local Meteorological Office sent a group of investigators to the wind-hit areas and started an investigation.

Between 11 a.m. and noon Sunday, when the winds were at their strongest, a maximum wind speed of 9.2 meters was recorded at an observation point in Kanuma, according to the meteorological office. Kanuma is more than five kilometers away from the town of Kitaakazuka, which was affected by the wind gusts.

As the observation point was not hit by wind strong enough to damage roofs, an official of the meteorological office said, “The wind gusts seem to have occurred locally.”

(source & picture : the-japan-news.com)