So far typhoon #12 has caused 17 deaths, 54 people are missing and
thousands are evacuated after heavy floods. Most of the deaths are from
the heavy rains — drownings and people getting caught in mudslides.
There's more heavy rain projected, so it's likely the total damage will
continue to increase. We have been fortunate that the typhoon veered off and crossed southern Honshu well west of Osaka.
It's easy to overlook typhoons — they are "only" weather after all — but
the reality is that typhoons are a greater danger than earthquakes,
even in earthquake-prone Japan. The potential destructive power of a
single event is much greater for earthquakes of course, but typhoons are much more common.
If you live in a typhoon (or hurricane) prone area, it's a really,
really good idea to look over your preparedness. It's also a good idea
to keep typhoons in mind when you choose a place to live, and avoid the
riskiest areas near steep hillsides and riverbanks. A mountain-side home
may be very picturesque, but it's not very safe if that mountainside
decides to turn into a landslide.
Good to know you were unharmed mate!
ReplyDeleteIt's really random, this kind of storm. On average Nara and Osaka had about 700mm of rain, but some areas have over 1200mm (and landslides that killed people) while other areas stayed almost completely dry.
ReplyDelete