The typhoon Shanshanclassified as “very strong”, made landfall this Thursday on the main island of Kyushusouthwest of Japanwhere he went at least three deadA missing and dozens of hurtin addition to causing damage to more than a hundred homes.
At least three people died and one is missing, while 41 others were injured. Kyushuincluding 9 in the prefecture of Kagoshima30 in Miyazakione in Fukuoka and another in Kumamotoaccording to the latest figures provided this Thursday by the spokesperson of the Japanese Executive, Yoshimasa Hayashi.
The missing person is believed to be a man in his sixties who fell overboard the previous day in the port of Kagoshima while trying to moor his boat, according to public broadcaster NHK.
The images broadcast this Thursday by the aforementioned station show floods and houses with parts of their facades lifted off after the typhoon made landfall near the town of Satsumasendai in Kagoshima Prefecture around 8 a.m. Thursday (2300 GMT Wednesday).
The JMA has asked the population to be extremely vigilant, especially in the event of possible landslides and flooding in low-lying areas.
After making landfall, the typhoon began moving north/northeastward at a speed of about 15 kilometers per hour and is expected to reach Tokyo between September 2 and 3 as it moves northward across the country.
weather alert
The special alert issued on Wednesday concerns the prefecture of Kagoshima and south of Miyazakiand includes a warning to citizens to prepare for strong winds and waves, the combination of which in coastal areas can cause storm surges, which occur when wind gusts push water above sea level, flooding coastal areas.
This special alert, although somewhat more common in the southernmost prefecture of the country, Okinawa, has only been activated once before on the main islands of the archipelago, precisely also in Kagoshima when Typhoon Nanmadol hit the region in September 2022, killing 4 and injuring more than 100.
In Kitakyushu alone, authorities have ordered the evacuation of 103,813 people from some 55,000 homes.
Damage to houses
In Miyazaki, the typhoon caused damage to about 160 homes and buildings, with facades torn off, windows shattered and low-lying areas flooded. Some objects fell, endangering pedestrians, and many traffic lights were not working in the area today.
Regarding the impact on transport, in KyushuThe bullet train service between Kumamoto and Fukuoka was suspended today, as was the bullet train line between Nagasaki and Takeo, and most local train lines are also not operating.
Similarly, the railway companies reported that, in line with the planned progress of the Shanshan towards HonshuThe high-speed line between Fukuoka and Osaka will be affected with cancellations or suspensions from Thursday to Saturday and the line between Osaka and Tokyo between Friday and Sunday.
Eight highways were closed and some 700 flights were cancelled, according to government data, while the day before another 300 flights were suspended, affecting around 9,000 passengers.
