Monday, October 14th

Japan looks for missing after typhoon kills dozens

By JAE C. HONG and YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press

Residential area is seen in muddy waters after an embankment of the Chikuma River broke because of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano, central Japan, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Rescue efforts for people stranded in flooded areas are in full force after a powerful typhoon dashed heavy rainfall and winds through a widespread area of Japan, including Tokyo.(Yohei Kanasashi/Kyodo News via AP)

NAGANO, Japan (AP) - Rescue crews dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left dozens dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan.

Typhoon Hagibis unleashed torrents of rain and strong winds Saturday, leaving thousands of homes on Japan's main island flooded, damaged or without power.

A riverside section of Nagano, northwest of Tokyo, was covered with mud, its apple orchards completely flooded and homes still without electricity.

Japan's Kyodo News agency reported that 48 people died from the typhoon, 17 were missing and some 100 were injured.

The government's Fire and Disaster Management Agency, which is generally more conservative in assessing its numbers, said 24 people were dead and nine were missing.

Experts said it would take time to accurately assess the extent of damage, and the casualty count has been growing daily.

A small pickup truck is submerged in floodwaters at an apple orchard, Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A resident is rescued by a Japan Self-Defense Force helicopter as the house is submerged in muddy waters after an embankment of the Chikuma River broke because of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano, central Japan, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Rescue efforts for people stranded in flooded areas are in full force after a powerful typhoon dashed heavy rainfall and winds through a widespread area of Japan, including Tokyo.(Yohei Kanasashi/Kyodo News via AP)

Hagibis dropped record amounts of rain for a period in some spots, according to meteorological officials, causing more than 20 rivers to overflow. In Kanagawa prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, 100 centimeters (39 inches) of rain was recorded over 48 hours.

Some of the muddy waters in streets, fields and residential areas have subsided. But many places remained flooded Monday, with homes and surrounding roads covered in mud and littered with broken wooden pieces and debris. Some places normally dry still looked like giant rivers.

Some who lined up for morning soup at evacuation shelters, which are housing 30,000 people, expressed concern about the homes they left behind. Survivors and rescuers will also face colder weather, with northern Japan turning chilly this week.

Soldiers and firefighters from throughout Japan were deployed to assist with rescue efforts. Helicopters could be seen plucking some of the stranded from higher floors and rooftops of submerged homes.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government would set up a special disaster team, including officials from various ministries, to deal with the fallout from the typhoon, including helping those in evacuation centers and boosting efforts to restore water and electricity to homes.

"Our response must be rapid and appropriate," Abe said, stressing that many people remained missing and damage was extensive.

Residents are rescued in Marumori town, Miyagi prefecture, Japan Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 following Typhoon Hagibis. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from the typhoon that caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (Kyodo News via AP)

Damage was especially serious in Nagano prefecture, where an embankment of the Chikuma River broke.

In one area, a few vehicles in used car lots were flipped over by the waters that had gushed in, covering everything with mud. Apples swept from the flooded orchards lay scattered in the mud.

Areas in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures in northern Japan were also badly flooded.

In such places, rescue crew paddled in boats to reach half-submerged homes, calling out to anyone left stranded.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said 35,100 homes were still without electricity early Monday evening in Tokyo and nearby prefectures that the utility serves. That was down from nearly 57,000 earlier in the day.

East Japan Railway Co. said Hokuriku bullet trains were running Monday but were reduced in frequency and limited to the Nagano city and Tokyo routes.

Mimori Domoto, who works at Nagano craft beer-maker Yoho Brewing Co., said all 40 employees at her company were confirmed safe, though deliveries were halted.

"My heart aches when I think of the damage that happened in Nagano. Who would have thought it would get this bad?" she said.

Tama River in Tokyo overflowed, but the damage was not as great in the capital as in other areas. Areas surrounding Tokyo, such as Tochigi, also suffered damage.

Much of life in Tokyo returned to normal on Monday. People were out and about in the city, trains were running, and store shelves left bare when people were stockpiling were replenished.

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Kageyama reported from Tokyo.

Cars are stranded on a road as the city is submerged in muddy waters after an embankment of the Chikuma River broke, in Nagano, central Japan, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Rescue efforts for people stranded in flooded areas are in full force after a powerful typhoon dashed heavy rainfall and winds through a widespread area of Japan, including Tokyo.(Yohei Kanasashi/Kyodo News via AP)

A vehicle falls off collapsed road in the typhoon-hit Kakuda city, Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Rescue efforts for people stranded in flooded areas are in full force after a powerful typhoon dashed heavy rainfall and winds through a widespread area of Japan, including Tokyo.(Kyodo News via AP)

An evacuee with a dog is rescued by Self-Defense force members as the city is hit by Typhoon Hagibis, in Motomiya, Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Rescue efforts for people stranded in flooded areas are in full force after a powerful typhoon dashed heavy rainfall and winds through a widespread area of Japan, including Tokyo.(Kyodo News via AP)

An evacuee is helped by Japan Self-Defense Forces' members as the city is hit by Typhoon Hagibis, in Motomiya, Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Rescue efforts for people stranded in flooded areas are in full force after a powerful typhoon dashed heavy rainfall and winds through a widespread area of Japan, including Tokyo.(Kyodo News via AP)

Rows of Japan's bullet trains, parked in a facility, sit in a pool of water in Nagano, central Japan, after Typhoon Hagibis hit the city, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Rescue efforts for people stranded in flooded areas are in full force after a powerful typhoon dashed heavy rainfall and winds through a widespread area of Japan, including Tokyo.(Yohei Kanasashi/Kyodo News via AP)

Vehicles are seen in mud water as Typhoon Hagibis hit the city in Sano, Tochigi prefecture, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Rescue efforts for people stranded in flooded areas are in full force after a powerful typhoon dashed heavy rainfall and winds through a widespread area of Japan, including Tokyo.(Kyodo News via AP)

Students and residents scoop dirt as the town is flooded Typhoon Hagibis, in Marumori, Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Rescue efforts for people stranded in flooded areas are in full force after a powerful typhoon dashed heavy rainfall and winds through a widespread area of Japan, including Tokyo.(Kyodo News via AP)

Stranded residents are rescued by a helicopter as the town is flooded by typhoon Hagibis, in Marumori, Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. Rescue efforts for people stranded in flooded areas are in full force after a powerful typhoon dashed heavy rainfall and winds through a widespread area of Japan, including Tokyo.(Kyodo News via AP)

Debris caused by Typhoon Hagibis are left on a street in Motomiya, Fukushima prefecture, Japan Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. Rescue crew dug through mudslides and searched near flooded rivers for missing people Monday after the typhoon caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (Kyodo News via AP)

Residents Kazuo Saito, right, and Sumiko Saito clean up their home Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Kawagoe City, Japan. Typhoon Hagibis dropped record amounts of rain for a period in some spots, according to meteorological officials, causing more than 20 rivers to overflow. Some of the muddy waters in streets, fields and residential areas have subsided. But many places remained flooded, with homes and surrounding roads covered in mud and littered with broken wooden pieces and debris. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Bullet trains sit at their base as the surrounding land is still flooded following Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano, central Japan Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from the typhoon that caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (Kyodo News via AP)

Residents clean a house damaged by Typhoon Hagibis, in Marumori town, Miyagi prefecture, Japan Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from the typhoon that caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (Kyodo News via AP)

In this Oct. 13, 2019, photo, Canadian rugby team players volunteer to clean a road in Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture, Japan, following the cancellation of their Rugby World Cup Pool B match against Namibia due to Typhoon Hagibis. The powerful typhoon unleashed torrents of rain and strong winds Saturday that left thousands of homes on Japan's main island flooded, damaged or without power. (Kyodo News via AP)

In this Oct. 13, 2019, photo, Canadian player Peter Nelson, right, volunteers to clean up mud in a house in Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture, Japan, following the cancellation of their Rugby World Cup Pool B match against Namibia due to Typhoon Hagibis. (Kyodo News via AP)

A man checks the damage to his relative's house in Nagano, central Japan following Typhoon Hagibis, Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. Rescue crew dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday after a typhoon caused serious damage in central and northern Japan, leaving dozens of people dead or missing. (Masanori Takei/Kyodo News via AP)

In this Oct. 13, 2019, photo, Tokyo Fire Department's Hirofumi Shimizu, left, and other officials bow in apology during a press conference at its headquarters in Tokyo. The department said a woman in her 70s was accidentally dropped 40 meters (131 feet) to the ground while being transported into a rescue helicopter in Iwaki city in Fukushima prefecture, a northern area devastated by Typhoon Hagibis. (Kyodo News via AP)

Typhoon-damaged cars sit on the street covered with mud Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from typhoon Hagibis that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A building is surrounded by floodwaters Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Apple trees stand in floodwaters Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Two search and rescue team members walk along the mud-covered street Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Two vehicles are submerged in floodwaters Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A volunteer helps clean up from Typhoon Hagibis Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Kawagoe City, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from Hagibis that left as dozens dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Search and rescue team members wade through floodwaters Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)