Reuters reported on August 30 that Typhoon Shanshan brought heavy rain to many areas in Japan, warning of flooding and landslides hundreds of kilometers from the storm's center. The storm caused the suspension of transportation services and halted production at major factories.
Authorities said the southwestern part of Kyushu island could be among the areas most affected by the storm. About 125,000 households in Kyushu were without power. Residents in the city of Fukuoka were taking shelter, leaving streets quiet and many shops closed.
Amid the storm, university student Kokoro Osoegawa, 21, took shelter under a canopy at the entrance of a deserted shopping mall near the city's train station and struggled to get home.
“Because there were no trains due to the storm, my parents came to pick me up. I stayed at a friend’s house and then came here. I thought there would be a train but there wasn’t one. I’ve never seen all the trains stop like this,” she said.
At least three people have died and 78 have been injured in typhoon-related incidents in recent days, according to the disaster management agency. Winds of up to 50 meters per second (130 feet per second) are strong enough to overturn moving trucks. The typhoon approached the coastal city of Kunisaki, Oita Prefecture, at 8 a.m. on August 30 and moved northeast, according to authorities. Warm, moist air surrounding the typhoon brought heavy rain to areas far from the center of the storm.
Across the country, evacuation advisories were issued, especially in the Kyushu region, as well as cities like Tokyo and Yokohama. The Yokohama government warned of the risk of landslides in some areas due to heavy rain. Disaster Management Minister Yoshifumi Matsumura said that as of August 29, only about 30,000 people had been evacuated, mostly in Kyushu.
