Japan – Evacuations as Typhoon Lan Causes Floods and Landslides

Typhoon Lan made landfall in Japan over Shizuoka Prefecture late on 22 October, 2017.

Parts of the country recorded wind gusts of up to 198km/h, according to Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA). Heavy rain from the storm caused flooding and mudslides.
Some areas have recorded more than 300 mm in the last 24 hours.

Several hundred homes have been flooded. According to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA), almost 800 people have been evacuated in Chiba Prefecture. Over 500 people have been evacuated in Iwate Prefecture and 600 in Shizuoka Prefecture.

NHK, Japan’s national public broadcasting organization, said that evacuation orders were issued to 80,000 people in Koriyama, as levels of the Abukuma river rose rapidly.

According to Foundation of River and Basin Integrated Communications (FRICS), a red level flood warning (third highest from 5: white, yellow, orange, red, black) is in place for the Mabechi River in Aomori prefecture and an orange lele warning for the Tone River in Ibaraki prefecture.

FDMA reported several serious injuries as a result of strong winds, including two people who are in comas. Local media say that there have been at least 4 fatalities, one of whom was killed when a landslide engulfed his home.

Reuters reported that around 350 flights were cancelled and train services disrupted over a wide area of Japan, although most commuter trains were running smoothly in Tokyo.

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