Millions displaced by Typhoon Shanshan in Japan

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features Typhoon Shanshan, the tenth typhoon of the 2024 Pacific season. The storm has been devastating Japan since making landfall on August 29, 2024. 

“In late August 2024, Typhoon Shanshan barreled into Japan. The potent storm had already spurred landslides, power outages, and flooding in the southern parts of the country as it continued to move northeast over the archipelago,” said NASA.

“On August 27, before Shanshan made landfall, bands of heavy rain triggered a deadly landslide that buried a house in the city of Gamagori, near Tokyo. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued emergency warnings for most of Kyushu Island and parts of central Japan.”

Impacts of Typhoon Shanshan 

Typhoon Shanshan made landfall over the southern tip of Japan’s Kyushu Island with wind speeds of 85 miles per hour, which is equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.

According to NASA, high waves hit the southern coast of the island, fierce winds knocked over trees and power lines, and more than 100,000 homes were without power the evening of August 29.

As of now, the typhoon has resulted in at least six fatalities and over 170 injuries, with two people still missing. Authorities have issued evacuation orders for millions of residents, particularly in southern and western Japan, due to the heightened risk of landslides and flooding. 

In addition to human casualties, the storm has caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including the suspension of most high-speed rail services and the cancellation of over 1,000 flights.

Shanshan’s impact is also being felt in the economy, as major companies like Toyota, Nissan, and Honda have had to halt operations at their factories, especially in Kyushu, which is a key hub for Japan’s semiconductor industry. The typhoon’s slow movement has exacerbated its effects, leading to severe disruptions across multiple sectors.

Intensification of Typhoon Shanshan 

“The slow-moving storm continued to drench southern Japan as it moved northeast. As of August 29, parts of Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures reported rainfall accumulations topping 15.75 inches in 24 hours. Since August 26, the city of Ebino in the Miyazaki prefecture has been deluged with over 33 inches of rain,” said NASA.

Hisashi Nakamura, a climate scientist at the University of Tokyo, noted that the typhoon intensified between August 25 and 27, fueled by unusually warm water in the Philippine Sea. The sea surface temperatures were around 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

Forecasters expect the storm to weaken to a tropical depression by the start of next week, but heavy rainfall is likely to continue, raising concerns about further flooding and mudslides.

History of typhoons in Japan

Typhoons have been a significant part of Japan’s history, shaping both the culture and the landscape of the nation. 

The earliest recorded typhoon in Japan dates back to the 7th century, but it was the “Kamikaze” typhoons of the 13th century that left an indelible mark on Japanese history. 

These typhoons, occurring in 1274 and 1281, are said to have destroyed the Mongol fleets led by Kublai Khan, preventing an invasion and preserving Japan’s independence. 

The term “Kamikaze” or “divine wind” was later romanticized in Japanese culture as a symbol of protection by the gods.

Typhoon Vera

In the modern era, the 20th century brought further challenges as Japan faced numerous powerful storms. One of the most catastrophic was Typhoon Vera, also known as the Isewan Typhoon, which struck in 1959. 

Vera caused widespread destruction, particularly in the Kansai and Chubu regions, resulting in over 5,000 deaths and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

Japan’s geographical location, where warm, moist air from the Pacific Ocean meets cooler air from the Asian continent, makes it particularly vulnerable to typhoons. The nation has developed sophisticated early warning systems and disaster preparedness strategies to mitigate the impact of these storms. 

The image was captured on August 29, 2024 by the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the NOAA-20 satellite.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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