Typhoon Saudel Heads West After Slamming Southwestern Japan

Typhoon Saudel Impacts Japan’s Southwestern Islands

The storm’s path across Okinawa and surrounding island groups disrupted regional transportation and utility networks. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Typhoon Saudel was positioned about 180 kilometers northwest of Okinoerabu Island, maintaining maximum sustained winds of 144 kilometers per hour. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency and prefectural officials confirmed two minor injuries resulting from the severe weather.

A 78-year-old woman sustained a head injury in the city of Uruma on Okinawa after high winds knocked her to the ground outside her home. On nearby Amamioshima island, a woman in her 70s fell down a flight of stairs during a blackout triggered by the severe weather, according to NHK public television reporting.

Flight Cancellations and Power Outages

Infrastructure disruptions affected thousands of residents and travelers across the affected prefectures. Kyushu Electric Power Co. reported that the severe weather knocked out power for more than 30,000 homes in Kagoshima prefecture, which encompasses the Amami island area. In aviation, approximately 150 flights to and from Okinawa’s Naha airport were canceled as airlines grounded operations during the height of the storm.

Rainfall totals climbed sharply as the system moved through the region. The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded more than 9 inches of rain in the Amami region over a 24-hour period. Meteorological officials issued active landslide warnings for the Amami area while forecasting additional rainfall accumulations of up to 3.9 inches in that region and up to 4.7 inches on Okinawa through midday Thursday.