Typhoon Roke Completes Pass Over Honshu, Leaving Mostly Flood Damage

NU Online News Service, Sept. 22, 1:59 p.m. EDT

Typhoon Roke completed its pass over Honshu, Japan’s main island, leaving behind some wind damage, but mostly damage from flooding. 

AIR Worldwide says that, in the countryside along affected areas, wood frame homes dominate residential construction, and many have heavy, clay-tile roofs meant to prevent damage from wind. AIR expects minor roof damage and little or no structural damage to these homes, and to larger multi-family apartment buildings and commercial and industrial structures. Modern urban structures are similarly expected to withstand Roke's wind speeds with minimal damage, as Japan has strict and well-enforced construction codes, AIR says.

For flooding, AIR notes that this type of damage in Japan is not automatically included in wind policies.

Risk Management Solutions, citing the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA), says that, so far, over 1,500 properties had sustained flooding while close to 250 properties had received some level of damage from wind.

RMS also cites the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), stating that the storm passed 30 miles to the northwest of the Japanese capital, Tokyo, with winds at tropical-storm strength, though there are few damage reports from Tokyo. Roke continued to track northeast beyond Tokyo, which saw the system impact areas that were affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

RMS says as many as 200,000 homes lost power across Honshu as a consequence of Roke, and officials have reported 11 fatalities.

According to the Associated Press, officials at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant say the storm did not affect the facility. Concerns were raised yesterday that the storm could have an impact.