At least 3 dead as Krosa pounds Japan with 30 inches of rain and wind gusts of nearly 90 mph
Tropical Storm Krosa made landfall in Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture on Aug. 14, triggering landslides and flood warnings. One person was killed and at least 40 people were injured according to local media in the area.
At least 50 people have been injured and hundreds of flights canceled as Krosa slammed Japan with more than 30 inches (800 mm) of rain and wind gusts of nearly 90 mph (144 km/h).
Around 3 p.m. Thursday, local time, Krosa moved ashore near Kure City in Hiroshima as a severe tropical storm, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
This makes Krosa the third tropical cyclone to make landfall across mainland Japan in as many weeks following Typhoon Francisco and Tropical Storm Nari.
Three people have been killed, according to The Japan Times. An 11-year-old girl is among the dead. She was swept away by rough seas along the coast of Shimoda. Her older sister was also caught up in the waves but managed to return to the beach.
An 82-year-old man was killed after falling when tying up a ship amid strong winds and rough seas in Onomichi on Thursday morning. Another man, age 71, was found dead in the Chikusa River on Friday. He was reportedly fishing and got swept away by the rising river.
Those injured during the storm span 13 prefectures.
Severe Tropical Storm Krosa on Thursday afternoon, local time, making landfall in southern Japan. (RAMMB)
Eighteen people were safely rescued after being stranded while camping on the bank of a swollen river in Oita, the Associated Press reported.
Hokkaido is endured Krosa's final blow on Japan. Windswept, heavy rain spread across the island through Saturday morning before Krosa, which has lost its tropical characteristics, tracked into the open waters of the northern Pacific Ocean.
While Krosa weakened from a typhoon to a severe tropical storm prior to making landfall in Japan, it still unloaded torrential rain and strong winds. Central Japan endured the worst of the storm.
Yanase, a mountainous location in Kochi Prefecture on Shikoku, topped the storm's rainfall totals list with 869.5 mm (34.23 inches) of rain. Out of that total, 124.5 mm (nearly 5 inches) and 60.5 mm (2.38 inches) poured down in 3 and 1 hours, respectively.
Also in Kochi, Torigatayama was inundated with 148 mm (5.83 inches) of rain in just 3 hours on Thursday morning.
A peak wind gust of 151 km/h (nearly 94 mph) whipped Muroto, the coastal community in eastern Kochi.
High waves pound a beach in Miyazaki, southwestern Japan as typhoon Krosa approaches the country in this photo taken by Kyodo on August 13, 2019. (Kyodo/via REUTERS)
The torrential rain triggered a large rockslide, which closed a main road in a mountain valley, according to The Japan Times.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways announced the cancellation of around 100 flights for Wednesday in advance of Krosa's arrival, according to The Japan Times. Over 700 flights were canceled for Thursday, according to NHK.
This included more than 200 domestic and international flights at the Kansai International Airport in Osaka. That left about 1,700 passengers stranded, The Japan Times stated.
West Japan Railway suspended almost all of its Shinkansen bullet train services between Shin-Osaka and Kokura on Thursday, while officials reduced service between Kokura and Hakata. Central Japan Railway and Shikoku Railway also announced cancellation of some services.
Dangerous seas forced officials to cancel ferries connecting Shikoku to other parts of Japan.
The travel disruptions created chaos for the millions of people who returned to their hometowns to celebrate the Bon holiday, according to BBC News. During this Japanese holiday, people pay respect to their ancestors.
As many as 580,000 people were advised to evacuate ahead of Krosa, but The Japan Times stated that many did not heed those suggestions.
Memorial services to commemorate Thursday's anniversary of Japan surrendering in World War II were also canceled due to the tropical storm.
The worst of Krosa passed to the west and north of Tokyo, but the city endured a wind gust to 69 km/h (43 mph) on Thursday night. A slightly higher gust whipped the city's international airport at midday Friday. More than 500 flights were delayed between Thursday and Friday, according to FlightAware.
"Following the departure of Krosa, more downpours can target and renew the risks for flash flooding in early next week," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski. "The heaviest rain is expected in northern Honshu, where there can be an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 100 mm (4 inches)."
AccuWeather meteorologists are also closely monitoring the Western Pacific Ocean for additional tropical development next week.
Download the free AccuWeather app to stay alert of tropical dangers.
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