Storm dumps intense rainfall on northern Japan, sending some people to shelters

12/8/2024 13:04

        A slow-moving storm has been dumping intense rains on northern Japan, swelling rivers, sending residents to shelters and disrupting traffic during a Japanese Buddhist holiday week.
        
        The storm was once Typhoon Maria but has weakened, with winds now blowing up to 90 kph (56 mph). It made landfall near Ofunato City in Iwate prefecture Monday morning and was expected to cut across the Tohoku region as it moved northwest at 15 kph (9 mph), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
        
        The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said no damage or injuries were reported so far, but authorities have cautioned about the risks of flooding and mudslides and advised 170,000 residents in Iwate and neighboring Aomori and Miyagi prefectures to go to shelters. Iwate prefecture said about 2,000 people actually took shelter early Monday.
        
        The prefecture started an emergency controlled release of water into a river to keep a dam from overflowing, calling on about 8,300 riverside residents in the towns of Osanai and Kuji to take shelter due to possible flooding from the discharge.