Super Typhoon Nanmadol Reaches Japan

A level 5 alert, which is the highest on Japan's natural disaster warning scale had been issued to over 14,0000 in Nishinoomote, which is located on Kyushu island, according to the NHK news agency. | Image | Screenshot from earth.nullschool.net | Altered by Donald Standeford

By Donald Standeford, SJ Founder/Publisher
September 18, 2022 11:30 pm UTC
Modified: 2022-09-18 11:30 pm

JAPAN - Super Typhoon Nanmadol, one of the strongest typhoons to reach Japan with nearly 150mph winds, has passed over the country. Around two million people in the path of the storm had been ordered to evacuate ahead of the Typhoon, according to NHK-World Japan.

Evacuations were carried out in the cities of Miyazaki, Kagoshima, and Amakusa, with a total of 965,000 households having been ordered to evacuate.

A level 5 alert, which is the highest on Japan's natural disaster warning scale had been issued to over 14,0000 in Nishinoomote, which is located on Kyushu island, according to the NHK news agency.

The World Meteorological Organization put out a statement over Twitter saying, "Typhoon Nanmadol striking Japan now. One of the strongest typhoons ever seen. Japan's Meteorological Agency is forecasting torrential rain, storm surges along the coast, and winds so powerful houses could collapse. Four million people have been told to evacuate their homes."

Hiro Kato, the head of the Weather Monitoring and Warning Center told reporters, "Areas affected by the storm are seeing the sort of rain that has never been experienced before. Especially in areas under landslide warnings, it is extremely probable that some kinds of landslides are already happening."

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) also said, "The southern part of the Kyushu region may see the sort of violent wind, high waves and high tides that have never been experienced before," and urged citizens to exercise the "highest caution possible" while the storm passes.