Typhoon Haishen Causes Widespread Damage
A large typhoon is moving north after skirting the southwestern island of Kyushu. Weather officials are calling on people to remain on alert.
Officials say that as of 11 a.m. on Monday, Typhoon Haishen was 260 kilometers north of Tsushima City in Nagasaki Prefecture. They say the typhoon was moving north at 45 kilometers per hour toward the Korean Peninsula. The storm is still bringing strong winds to Kyushu and part of the Chugoku region.
The typhoon is also drenching many parts of the archipelago. Authorities are warning of landslides, swollen rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.
At least 35 people have been injured. Miyazaki Prefecture officials say four people are missing after a landslide swept a building into a nearby river.
Some farms have suffered damage. In Nagasaki Prefecture, plastic sheets were torn up due to heavy wind. Farmers say crops have been devastated.
The typhoon downed trees and blew objects into power lines. About 500,000 households are without electricity. The utilities say work to restore power will begin as soon as possible.
About 6.2 million people in 10 prefectures were under evacuation advisories as of 10:30 a.m. Many emergency shelters are accepting fewer people and turning away evacuees in order to prevent coronavirus infections.
The storm is also disrupting travel. About 580 domestic flights are canceled on Monday. These include flights to and from the Shikoku and Chugoku regions as well as Kyushu.
All Kyushu Shinkansen bullet trains are canceled on Monday, along with all Sanyo Shinkansen bullet trains between Hakata and Hiroshima.
