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Search resumes for 19 missing on Oshima as another storm looms

15 Comments

The search resumed Monday for 19 people still missing after last week's typhoon-sparked landslides on Izu Oshima island, as meteorologists warned of another "very strong" storm.

Following a weekend hiatus because of rough weather, emergency crews were back combing through the tonnes of mud that engulfed houses overnight last Tuesday on Oshima, an island 120 kilometers south of Tokyo.

The weekend's heavy rain brought more misery to the island after the landslides, which killed at least 27 people, with 2,300 residents advised to leave their homes for fear of further calamity.

With the advisory lifted as of 8 a.m. Monday, some 1,200 police officers, rescue workers and soldiers were back at their grim task, an official said.

"As the next typhoon is coming and rain is expected to start falling again, we would like to do as much searching as possible beforehand, and return the missing to their families," Oshima Mayor Masafumi Kawashima said.

"The town has advised residents to return home for now and calmly prepare for the next evacuation."

Typhoon Francisco, which forecasters say is "very strong", was approaching Japan, moving north-northwest at the speed of 10 kilometers per hour in an area east of the Philippines, the Japan Meteorological Agency said Monday morning.

Francisco is expected to reach Japan's southern island chain of Okinawa by Thursday morning, it said.

© (C) 2013 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

15 Comments
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Francisco seems to be weakening, and will hopefully dissipate before hitting, but it's still affecting a lot of areas, so take care, peeps.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Darn, Thursday is the day I'm off.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Typhoon Francisco?? Nobody in JAPAN uses names for typhoons, just good old LOGICAL numbers, so we are talking about Typhoon number 26.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Typhoon Francisco, which forecasters say ...... the Japan Meteorological Agency said Monday morning.

Elbuda, are you sure?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Just look at NHK etc..NOBODY in Japan uses names like these for typhoons hitting Japan, except for the US armed forces, AFN, using these off the wall names that mean nothing for us trying to follow these typhoons for Japan and here in JAPAN is is ONLY known by their number and it was 26, so it would be nice if JT change this news to something like Typhoon Number 26 (Francisco) etc..always such a pain to get to different types of names for the same thing so I prefer NHK.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

"Recovery resumes for 19 buried by mudslide" - the harsh reality what's going on down there, for the sake of those who lost their friends and family, I hope they find those 19 bodies quickly. 500mls of rain in 6 hours, it must have been brutal.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

credit goes to the hard-working rescue team who are still working around the clock within this very affected area.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Just look at NHK etc..NOBODY in Japan uses names like these for typhoons hitting Japan

Typhoon Francisco, which forecasters say is “very strong”, was approaching Japan, moving north-northwest at the speed of 10 kilometers per hour in an area east of the Philippines, the said

I guess the Japan Meteorological Agency are just nobodies.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I guess the Japan Meteorological Agency are just nobodies

On the JMA website it's called TY1327(Francisco) (台風第27合(フランシスコ), which I think is what Elbuda is asking for.

Ask the man in the street in Japan what's happening with Typhoon Francisco, and 99 times out of a hundred the response will be Huh?? Ask about Typhoon 27, and he'll know what you're talking about.

It's OK to use the names, but for the sake of clarity, please don't leave out the numbers.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"at the speed of 10 kilometers per hour " which is very slow, meaning that won't blow past quickly but keep the rain coming down, and down. Our house is on the side of a hill.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The slow progression is generally worse than the high wind speeds for damage. It just pours and pours and pours. A tropical storm can be more dangerous than a powerful typhoon when it lingers.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Cleo, thanks!! On NHK etc...you will never hear typhoons called by names like Francisco but I guess our experts on Japan that do not understand enough about Japan and the language will kee going on about Francisco etc...which is is just as confusing as the crap news provided by the US military on AFN radio and tv.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

No, you said NOBODY uses names like these for typhoons hitting Japan. The article states that he JMA used the name. Not denying what you say in general, I was pointing to the fact that SOMEBODY does use the names of typhoons in Japan.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ok Devil, you and I agree! So AFN, the Armed Forces Network AFN radio, Eagle 810 on the radio am dial in the Kanto plain and JT and the JMA, Japan Meteorological Agency, my guess to communicate with non Japanese about these typhoons, but it just makes so much sense to use numbers than bloody names, not wanting to be rude to my uncle, back in California who actually is named just like this typhoon, FRANCISCO (typhoon number 26 for this year 2013, if I am not mistaken.)

0 ( +1 / -1 )

not wanting to be rude to my uncle, back in California who actually is named just like this typhoon, FRANCISCO

LOL!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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