Waiting for Typhoon in Tokyo !

Yesterday till late night or early morning 3:00 AM I did not sleep. I was waiting for the typhoon.

It all came to my interest as our Japanese class on this saturday was cancelled due to the expecting typhoon. OVTA, where I go for learning Japanese language for beginners informed through my company adminstration that they will compensate the class which will be cancelling as a precaution towards the typhoon on October second week.

I have never experienced a typhoon and wanted to see how it happens. One of my friend at the office told about the typhoon which is expected to hit Tokyo on early hours of 20th September. He told the name of the typhoon is Sinlaku.

We browsed the internet for getting more details about the typhoon. Many Japanese sites had given detailed information on the route and time of the typhoon.

My interest grew to watch the typhoon. There was moderate rain in Tokyo area on 19th evening onwards. Typhoon as my friend informed will be with heavy stormy wind and landslides. He had experienced last year 2007 July a similar typhoon, in which some people were killed.

Last year's typhoon destroyed many houses and created panic among the public. People can not stand outside as the storm speed will be around 130 miles per hour.

This time the Meteorological Agency in Japan had warned the public to stay alert for heavy rain, stormy winds and landslides that the season's 13th storm is expected to cause in wide parts of the Pacific coast.

Japan has an admirable system to report and monitor typhoons, tsunami like killer waves and earthquake etc. One of the reason is Japan have similar past experiences of natural calamities and over a period of time have been developed encounter measures.

The place where I am living is with lot of trees and high buildings. I thought I can see the strength of wind while the typhoon passes through the area. The Komatsugawa area is one of peaceful area in Tokyo for living. Komatsugawa is with trees, rivers, bridges, and high buildings in between.

But I could not sense any big difference between normal wind and yesterdays typhoon atlest in Komatsugawa area. The news papers reported something different, that there were small casualties at some parts of Japan.

Today morning I woke up and had a round around the Komatsugawa area, but could not find any noticeable changes due to the typhoon. But the Japan Times online reported casualties at Owase.

The Owase Municipal Government urged about 7,900 households to evacuate. A total of 12 homes were flooded, the city said, adding that about 50 residents fled to public halls and other places to take shelter. Sinlaku also caused 17 schools to close. Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) announced the suspension of eight express train services due to the typhoon.