Subway Stations Flooded and Planes Grounded... Japan Pierced by Typhoon 'Sansan'

Roads Submerged or Covered with Debris Causing 'Paralysis'
Passenger Flights and Shinkansen Operations Disrupted... Highways Also Closed

The devastating scenes left behind by Typhoon No. 10 'Sansan,' which is crossing the Japanese archipelago accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain, are shocking as they are shared on social networking services (SNS).

A subway station in Japan submerged due to Typhoon 'SanSan'. [Image source=Captured from X (formerly Twitter)]

On the 31st, Japan's NHK reported that six people died, one person went missing, and 125 were injured due to the impact of 'Sansan.' The Japan Meteorological Agency warned, "Although the typhoon may change into a tropical depression on the 1st, rain is expected to continue in various places afterward due to the inflow of moist air," adding that the ground has softened from the heavy rain so far, increasing the risk of disasters such as landslides and river flooding if more rain falls. As of the morning of the previous day, the 72-hour rainfall was 800mm in southern Kyushu and 500mm in Shikoku.

As Sansan poured down so much rain, landslides occurred, and damage such as house destruction, river flooding, and inundation followed one after another. In particular, photos showing a subway station submerged in water were posted on X (formerly Twitter), shocking netizens both domestically and internationally.

Due to the impact of Typhoon 'Sansan,' a passenger plane attempting to land at Fukuoka Airport was shaken by strong winds and climbed to a higher altitude again. [Image source=Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

At Fukuoka Airport, a passenger plane attempting to land was shaken by strong winds and eventually had to climb back to a higher altitude, a thrilling scene that was also captured.

Furthermore, the Kyushu Shinkansen suspended operations all day from the first train the previous day, and several Shinkansen sections, including the line connecting Tokyo and Nagoya, experienced operational disruptions. The Shinkansen is expected to reduce the number of runs or suspend operations on some sections again on this day. Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) canceled 287 and 346 domestic flights respectively the previous day and have announced some cancellations for this day as well.

Due to the impact of Typhoon 'Sansan', the road is filled with soil and stones. [Image source: Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

Some sections of highways were also closed to vehicle access due to the rain and wind. Kyodo News reported that heavy rain is falling even in areas far from the typhoon's center, which could lead to prolonged traffic disruptions.

A village submerged due to the impact of Typhoon 'Sansan'. [Image source=Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

This typhoon was powerful and unusually slow-moving, greatly affecting heavy rain and storms. 'Sansan' is expected to change into a tropical depression with maximum wind speeds below 17.2 m/s by the 2nd, but a large amount of rain clouds remain, raising concerns about additional damage. For this reason, local authorities have issued large-scale evacuation orders.