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People killed, towns flooded by Typhoon Trami

(Photo: Shutterstock)

Typhoon Trami slammed into southern Japan on Sunday, including Okinawa, causing floods, wind damage, and interruptions in transportation.

Hundreds of people were injured and at least two killed, including a truck driver during a mudslide in the Tottori Prefecture on the island of Honshu, according to the Japan Times.

Trami was the season’s 24th typhoon, drenching the region with torrential rain and sustained winds of around 100 mph at landfall. Trees were blown down, vehicles flipped, and power lines destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of homes had no electricity as of Monday morning local time, including the capital of Tokyo and its surrounding towns. Some schools in affected areas are closed due to power failures. According to the Associated Press, farms and homes in Miyazaki on the island of Kyushu were flooded.

Hundreds of domestic flights were canceled at airports, including Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda. Many train lines were shut down during the storm, making it difficult for people to get to work Monday morning. All bullet trains are reportedly running again.

The final report from the Joint Typhoon Warning Warning Center (JTWC) was issued late Sunday evening Japan time. It showed Trami’s winds had weakened to 85 mph and would continue to lose strength. It was located near the northern Sea of Japan as of 11 p.m. Monday, Japan Standard Time (10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time).

Less than 24 hours after Trami left Japan, all eyes are now on a new typhoon named Kong-Rey which is spinning over the Philippine Sea, producing winds of more than 140 mph. The JTWC says the storm could make landfall anywhere from Taiwan/eastern mainland China to Okinawa and other southern Japanese islands just devastated by Trami. There will be more confidence in the forecast in the coming days.


Nick Austin

Nick is a meteorologist with 20 years of forecasting and broadcasting experience. He was nominated for a Midsouth Emmy for his coverage during a 2008 western Tennessee tornado outbreak. He received his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Florida State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Georgia Tech. Nick is a member of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association. As a member of the weather team at WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tennessee, Nick was nominated for a Mid-South Emmy for live coverage of a major tornado outbreak in February 2008. As part of the weather team at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nick shared the Chattanooga Times-Free Press Best of the Best award for “Best Weather Team” eight consecutive years.