Watch: Scenes of destruction (and rescue) as Japan battles Hagibis, its ‘worst storm in 60 years’
Typhoon Hagibis triggered heavy rainfall, flooding, and very strong winds.
Tokyo(CNN)Typhoon Hagibis made landfall Saturday night local time, as the country braces for hurricane-force winds that have killed five people and injured dozens.
— 🐨 pooleymon 🇦🇺 (@pooleypoke) October 13, 2019
The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the typhoon made landfall just before 7 p.m. local time. pic.twitter.com/GSepK0VLOa
Typhoon Hagibis made landfall in Japan on October 12 as Japan’s “worst storm in sixty years”, The Guardian reported. At least 18 people have been killed and many are missing, according to national media broadcaster NHK.
Rescue operations began soon after Hagibis passed, with helicopters picking people up from flooded homes. As many as 27,000 military troops and other rescue crews were deployed for rescue, government spokesperson Yoshihide Suga said.
A wide area along the Chikuma River in Nagano has been inundated with the torrential rain brought by Hagibis. City officials received many reports of houses flooded up to the second floor. Rescue operations are underway with Self Defense Force helicopters.#Hagibis #Typhoon pic.twitter.com/zoW21azFQ5
— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) October 13, 2019
An “emergency weather warning level 5” was issued ahead of Typhoon Hagibis’s landfall for cities in 12 prefectures of Japan. The government gave evacuation orders to millions, fearing power cuts and flooding.
#RT @GretaThunberg: RT @AssaadRazzouk: Typhoon #Hagibis made a direct hit on Tokyo, together with landslides, floods and an earthquake
— Travis 4 Climate🌎 (@Travis4Climate) October 13, 2019
-Most powerful storm for 60+ years
-Millions evacuating
-500mm of rain to fall on Tokyo in 24 hours, 700mm fell on Hako… pic.twitter.com/xO9VOlQ28S
Japan is currently hosting the Rugby World Cup. Many matches, including the one between Namibia and Canada scheduled for Sunday, have been cancelled.
