Emergency Rain Warnings Issued for Kyushu, Japan

Hundreds of thousands of residents evacuated, many more unable to move to safety

Emergency warnings have been issued for parts of Fukuoka and Oita prefectures in Kyushu, Japan and more than 400,000 residents have been ordered or advised to evacuate after torrential rains paralyzed the western parts of the country, said NHK.

“A Japan Meteorological Agency official says that it is an emergency with imminent risks of danger and that it is a situation where landslides and flooding could have already triggered a catastrophe.”

Serious flooding and landslides have blocked roads and left thousands of homes without power.

Many homes have been flooded and the residents are left isolated, unable to move to safety due to the inundation, said the report.

Quakes Strike North and South of Sendai Nuclear Power Plant

Earthquakes strike as Japan nuclear regulator clears two-reactor Sendai NPP

Two quakes struck about 55km south of Sendai NPP, USGS/EHP reported. A third quake  occurred [about 60km] north of the plant, according to Japan weather agency (JMA).

Japan’s nuclear regulators said Wednesday that Kyushu Electric Power Co’s that the two reactors at Sendai nuclear plant had cleared “safety hurdles,” according to reports.

Kyushu Electric company is planning to restart the Sendai No. 1 reactor in late July, and the No. 2 reactor in late September 2015 despite public opposition.

In April, a Kyushu court rejected a legal bid by residents to block the resumption of power generation at Sendai despite the potential threats posed by nearby volcanoes.

EQ Details

• M4.8 quake strikes 10km ESE of Makurazaki, Japan 2015-05-27 at 01:51:25 UTC depth=150.2 km (USGS/EHP)
• M4.5 quake 4km E of Makurazaki, Japan 2015-05-24 at 00:09:38 UTC depth=161.7 km (USGS/EHP)
• M4.0 quake strikes Fukuoka pref. (33.0N, 130.5E) 27 May 2015-05-27 at 16:11 JST (UTC + 9 hrs.)  depth=10 km  (JMA)

Current Volcanic Alerts in the Region (JMA)

• Kuchinoerabujima, Level 3 Alert (Do not approach the volcano), since 07 August 2014
• Sakurajima,  Level 3 Alert ,  since 21 March 2012
• Asosan,  Level 2 Alert (Do not approach the crater) since 30 August 2014
• Kirishimayama (Shinmoedake),  Level 2 Alert,  since 22 October 2013
• Suwanosejima, Level 2  Alert, since 01 December 2007
• Kirishimayama,  volcano is potentially active, since 01 May 2015

Okinawa Battered by 2nd Typhoon in 24 Hrs

Okinawa and Miyako Islands battered by Typhoon FITOW Followed by Typhoon DANAS

FITOW uprooted trees and knocked down utility posts, tearing rooftops and causing blackouts of thousands of homes in Miyakojima city; however, the full extent of damaged caused by Typhoon DANAS was not known, as of posting.

Okinawa Island almost bore the full brunt of Cat 4 Typhoon DANAS, several hours ago.

DANAS is a “heat-seeking,” “custom-made” typhoon in FIRE-EARTH parlance, “designed” to impact the full length of Japan islands, and at this stage of its life it looks fully capable of causing damage comparable only to Hurricane SANDY. We’ll see!

DANAS Details @ 13:00UTC on October 7, 2013

Position: 28.3°N, 127.7°E
Movement: NNW – 330 degrees at 30km/hr
Max Sustained Winds: 230km/hr
Max Wind Gusts: 280km/hr
Max Significant Wave Height: 20m (60 feet)
Category: DANAS is a Cat. 4B on FEWW New Hurricane Scale
Source: FIRE-EARTH, JTWC, JMA and others

DANAS Projected Path. IR Satellite Image recorded at 12:32UTC on October 7, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC. FIRE-EARTH Enhancement.

Typhoon DANAS. VIS/IR Satellite Image recorded at 12:32UTC on October 7, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC. FIRE-EARTH Enhancement.

Location and Impact Forecast

DANAS was near 630 km SSW of Fukuoka, Kyushu, at 13:00UTC on October 7, 2013.

The typhoon is expected to dump as much as 200 mm of rain on Japan’s Amami region and southern Kyushu and 150 mm on Okinawa and northern Kyushu by Tuesday morning, according to local reports.

Related Links

• FITOW Turns Deadly October 7, 2013
• Typhoon FITOW Forces Hundreds of Thousands of Evacuations October 6, 2013
• Typhoon FITOW Chased by Cyclone DANAS October 5, 2013
• Typhoon FITOW Makes Minor Detour October 4, 2013
• Two Cyclones Moving Toward Japan October 1, 2013
• WUTIP Hammers Central Vietnam October 1, 2013
• Typhoon WUTIP Headed for Vietnam, Laos, Thailand September 29, 2013
• USAGI Disaster Update: 25 Dead; 7,100 Homes Destroyed September 23, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale September 3, 2008
• Satellite Imagery