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Japan launches major search operation after deadly

typhoon kills dozens
By Julia Hollingsworth and Chie Kobayashi, CNN

Updated 7:06 AM EDT, Mon October 14, 2019

Tokyo(CNN)A major search and rescue operation is underway in Japan after

deadly Typhoon Hagibis brought widespread flooding and landslides, destroying
buildings and leaving dozens dead.

The storm -- which came as Japan hosts the Rugby World Cup for the first time --
made landfall on Saturday evening local time on the Izu Peninsula, southwest of
Tokyo, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

At least 49 people were killed, with 200 injured and at least 14 people still missing,
the country's public broadcaster NHK reported Monday. More than 110,000
personnel are involved in search and rescue operations, including 13,000 police,
66,000 fire department staff and 31,000 self-defense force staff, chief cabinet
secretary Yoshihide Suga said in a press conference Monday.

One of those killed was a 77-year-old woman who fell 40 meters (131 feet) during a
helicopter rescue operation in Iwaki City, Fukushima prefecture, on Sunday morning,
Tokyo Fire Department press officer Yuji Kikuchi said.

Rescuers had failed to properly attach a hook to the harness as the woman was
being pulled onto the helicopter. "We apologize from the bottom of our heart,"
Hirofumi Shimizu, the deputy chief of Tokyo Fire Department, said in a press
conference on Sunday. "We will try our best not to have this happen again and to
recover trust to us."
More than 230,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm, and emergency
orders were issued for many cities around the greater Tokyo area. As of Monday,
more than 84,000 households in Tokyo, northern Japan and mountainous areas in
the center of the country were still without power, according to electricity companies.

Typhoon-hit regions are bracing for more rain on Monday which could exacerbate
flooding, prompting authorities to caution people to stay away from rivers and
mountain slopes.

Video released by authorities and shared online showed the extent of the
devastation in Japan.

One clip shows a helicopter hovering over a house surrounded by murky water as
rescuers pull a person to safety in Fukushima prefecture. Another shows people
being rescued on an inflatable raft which appears to be floating on a water-logged
street.

A separate clip taken on Sunday shows debris floating down a swollen river in Saku
city, in Nagano prefecture.

Explanation

How Do Typhoons Occur?

•••

What Are Typhoons?

A typhoon is a region-specific term given to a type of tropical cyclone, usually occurring

within the northwestern region of the Pacific Ocean, west of the International Date Line.
These same systems in other regions are referred to as either hurricanes, or more
generally, tropical cyclones. The center of a cyclone is referred to as the eye. The eye is a
circular area of calm, fair weather. On average, a tropical cyclone eye is about 30 miles
across. Surrounding the eye are eyewalls which are regions of dense convective clouds.
The winds of eyewalls are the highest and generally cause the most damage. Spiraling
into the eyewalls are more convective cloud regions referred to as spiral bands. These
areas contain heavy winds and extend out from the typhoon eye.

How Typhoons Occur

Researchers are continuously working toward and discovering new information on the
phenomena of tropical cyclones as there is still much regarding the system that is
unknown. Typhoons occur when a rough weather wave, using the Earth's rotation, begins
to rotate (also known as the Coriolis effect). The potential of generating a pressure system
increases if this wave spins into a complete circle; with higher pressure on the outside and
a low-pressure center. High multidirectional winds surrounding the wave can disrupt the
system from forming. If the system maintains its rotation and begins to spiral at a rate
greater than 65 knots (74 mph), it is referred to as a tropical cyclone. Typhoon intensity is
not dependent on the size of the system.

When Typhoons Occur

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), high winds push the
surface of the waters ahead of the system on the right side of its path and cause over 85 percent of
the cyclone's surge.

In order to occur, tropical cyclones generally require ocean temperatures of at least 80 F.

The systems begin with heat generated from spiraling water vapor in the atmosphere. This
spiraling vapor forms into the convective clouds discussed earlier. Typhoon incidence rate
is correlated with sea-surface temperature. Because of this, there may be a connection
between global warming and tropical cyclones; as the temperature of the waters increase,
so does the incidence of tropical cyclones.
Typhoon season is typically between late June until sometime during the month of
December.

Report Text

What is a tornado?

Tornadoes are known as one of the most damaging disasters. What is the description of
tornadoes? A tornado is a very powerful column of winds which spirals around a center of low
atmospheric pressure. A tornado will look like a large black funnel which hangs down from a
storm cloud.
The name “tornado” derives from the Latin “tonare”. It means “to thunder.” While the Spanish
developed the word into “tornear” which means “to turn or twist”. This is why a tornado is
sometimes called twister or cyclone.
The winds inside a twister can spin around at speeds up to 500 miles an hour, but it usually
travels at roughly 300 miles an hour. This speed twisting makes a tornado the most dangerous
storm.
The average tornado has a diameter of about 200 to 300 yards. The smaller tornadoes are
known as satellite tornadoes. These small offspring, about 50 yards across, can be very fierce
and do lots of damage.
The forming of a tornado can be very quick. Sometimes it can form in a minute or less. A
tornado can travel across the ground at high speeds, then it can suddenly vanish. Most
tornadoes last less than twenty minutes and travel less than 15 miles. However, the super
storms sometimes travel over 100 miles before they are exhausted