Shanshan's crawl and high water

By now, you’ve seen the flooding that Typhoon Shanshan has caused in wide areas of Japan. As international news outlets started covering the storm’s destruction, my friends and family abroad began messaging and emailing me to see if I’m okay.

Up here in the Kanto region, the impact of the storm’s slow crawl varies depending on the paths of the rain bands and the terrain. On Friday morning, there were light showers in Noda City as I boarded the train to head west to work in Kasukabe City which requires crossing the Edo, Naka, and Furutone Rivers. At each train bridge, I noticed the water levels were progressively higher and the rain heavier. I waded in ankle-deep water between flooded rice paddies with the rain coming down in buckets. A coworker who lives in west Tokyo left early Friday afternoon when she got updates on her phone to say her neighborhood was under evacuation.

Bigfamjapan provided a good refresher on the alert levels and how notifications get sent to residents. I’m powering up my devices this afternoon in anticipation of the heavy rain expected on Saturday evening. To keep up with developments, I bookmarked NHK’s 防災・災害情報 bousai-saigai jouhou, disaster prevention information. You’ll see the colored icons that Bigfamjapan told us about, links to each prefecture, and up-to-the-minute announcements about risks and shelters.

A view of the Edo River from Matsudo City in Chiba Prefecture

Since I live in a low-lying area between the Tone and Edo Rivers, I also bookmarked the government’s real-time 川の防災情報 kawa no bousai jouhou map. Like the app Bigfamjapan recommends, the river website has clickable camera icons and cross-sections of the river levels and levee elevations. Even better, click the icon on the top right of the page for the English version.

The dehumidifier usually gets tucked in a corner after rainy season...

Stay safe and here's hoping Shanshan goes easy on you!