Typhoon Nanmadol struck the coastline of southern Japan on Sunday, causing widespread power outages and a massive evacuation.
The Japan Meteorological Society said the typhoon could unleash up to 20 inches of rain by Monday with winds of more than 100 miles per hour as the storm reached the shore of Kagoshima City.
More than 12,000 people have already taken shelter at evacuation shelters, according to the Associated Press. About eight million people in southern Japan have been warned to evacuate, with calls across the regions for residents to stay inside buildings on the second floor or higher where possible.
The AP also noted that 216,450 homes were reported without electricity due to Typhoon Nanmadol. Trains on nearby Kyushu Island have also stopped operating as a safety precaution.
Eyewall closing in near Ibusuki #typhoon #Nanmadol pic.twitter.com/sVpHcY4OV8
— James Reynolds (@EarthUncutTV) September 18, 2022
NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, issued a rare special warning about the storm as the typhoon reached gusts of up to 168 miles per hour on Saturday.
“There are risks of unprecedented storms, high waves, storm surges, and record rainfall,” said Ryuta Kurora, the head of the Japan Meteorological Agency’s forecast unit.
“The wind will be so fierce that some houses might collapse,” Kurora added, warning that flooding and landslides might also occur. “Maximum caution is required. It’s a very dangerous typhoon.”
Tracks of the six typhoons that have caused at least $6 billion in damage (2022 USD) in Japan, as rated by EM-DAT, the international disaster database. #Nanmadol threatens to join this list. (Image credit: NOAA Historical Hurricanes Tracks tool) pic.twitter.com/MRSAcEGyHe
— Jeff Masters (@DrJeffMasters) September 17, 2022
The typhoon is expected to turn east and pass over the nation’s main island of Honshu before moving out to sea by Wednesday. The typhoon already marks the 14th of the season and the strongest so far in Japan.
American astronaut Bob “Farmer” Hines also shared images on Twitter of the storm from space.
“It’s incredible how something that seems so beautiful from space can be so terrible on Earth…Praying for the safety of those in the path of Typhoon Nanmadol,” he tweeted.
It’s incredible how something that seems so beautiful from space can be so terrible on Earth…Praying for the safety of those in the path of Typhoon Nanmadol. pic.twitter.com/4xambFgtj6
— Bob “Farmer” Hines (@Astro_FarmerBob) September 17, 2022
Typhoon Nanmadol is not the only concerning storm being tracked at the moment. On Sunday, Puerto Rico experienced a total blackout, losing all power across the island as Hurricane Fiona began to pass over the island, leading President Joe Biden to declare an emergency disaster.
“The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population,” the declaration added.
Fiona is expected to bring up to two feet of rain in some parts of the island, with more than 12 inches of precipitation across most of Puerto Rico. Fiona began as a tropical storm, striking Guadeloupe on Friday with one death reported.
Fiona was upgraded to hurricane status on Sunday as sustained winds reached more than 80 miles per hour. Gusts of up to 100 miles per hour have been reported on the island that is home to 1.4 million people.