Typhoon 'Sansan' Sweeps Through Kyushu, Japan and Moves East... Heavy Rain Damage Also Occurs in the Seoul Metropolitan Area

Typhoon No. 10 "Sansan," accompanied by very heavy rain and strong winds, struck Kyushu, Japan, and is slowly moving eastward, putting the entire archipelago on alert.

On the 29th, broken roof tiles and debris are scattered on the streets of Miyazaki, Kyushu, Japan, hit hard by Typhoon Sansaang No. 10. The super typhoon Sansaang is expected to pass through the Japanese archipelago.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency on the 30th, Sansan, which swept through Kyushu the previous day, was moving slowly eastward in the Seto Inland Sea between Hiroshima Prefecture on Honshu and Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku as of 6 a.m. that day.

The central pressure of the typhoon is 994 hPa (hectopascals), with maximum wind speeds near the center reaching 180 m/s and maximum instantaneous wind speeds of 25 m/s.

Although the wind speed has slowed compared to the previous day, strong winds exceeding 15 m/s were still observed within a radius of 390 km from the center.

Local media reported that although the typhoon's strength has weakened, it is still causing continuous rain damage as it affects areas as far as the metropolitan region.

In Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, west of Tokyo, the 48-hour rainfall total reached 427 mm by 5 p.m., marking the highest ever recorded in the area, and the coastal area of Itami City in Shizuoka Prefecture also experienced a record-breaking 458 mm of rain during the same period.

Eleven wards in Tokyo, including Shinjuku and Setagaya, issued evacuation orders, and a "flood risk information" alert was briefly issued for the Meguro River in Tokyo during the early morning hours.

Heavy rain in various locations caused landslides, house damage, river flooding, and inundation.

In Gunma Prefecture, a man in his 20s working at an archaeological excavation site was buried under collapsed soil but was rescued, while in Tokushima Prefecture, an elderly man in his 80s died after being trapped in a collapsed house.

According to NHK's tally, six people have died, one is missing, and 110 have been injured due to the typhoon.

The Meteorological Agency stated, "The typhoon may change into a tropical depression on September 1, but due to the inflow of moist air, rain is expected to continue in various places afterward." They warned that the ground has softened due to the heavy rainfall so far, increasing the risk of disasters such as landslides and river flooding if more rain falls.

As of the morning of that day, the 72-hour rainfall reached 800 mm in southern Kyushu and 500 mm in Shikoku.

NHK reported that there is a possibility of landslides and river flooding in the Kanto region, including Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Saitama Prefecture, as well as parts of Shikoku and Kyushu.

The Kyushu Shinkansen suspended operations all day from the first train, and several Shinkansen lines, including the route connecting Tokyo and Nagoya, experienced service disruptions. Some sections of expressways were also closed to vehicle traffic due to the rain and wind.

Shinkansen services are expected to be reduced or partially suspended on the 31st as well. Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) canceled 287 and 346 domestic flights respectively on that day and have announced some cancellations for the 31st as well.

Kyodo News reported that the slow movement of the typhoon and heavy rain even in areas far from the center could cause prolonged traffic disruptions.

In regions affected or expected to be affected by Typhoon Sansan, factories have stopped operations and stores have closed.

Toyota Motor Corporation nearly halted production in Japan on that day as well as the previous day, and Toto, a manufacturer of bathroom products, decided to suspend operations at eight production bases in Fukuoka and Oita Prefectures in Kyushu.

Japan Post suspended deliveries in 12 major local governments across Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu, and some convenience stores and department stores in Fukuoka City also temporarily closed.