NU Online News Service, Aug. 11, 12:51 p.m. EDT

Tropical Storm Etau's torrential rains brought death, landslides and floods, inundating homes and businesses in Western Japan, the Risk Management Solutions modeling firm reported.

At least 14 deaths were reported today from the storm, which RMS said had maximum sustained winds of around 40 miles-per-hour, making it a tropical storm on the Saffir Simpson hurricane scale.

Etau has tracked in an eastwards direction with a forward speed of around 20 mph, and is expected to head towards the open waters of the West Pacific and away from the Japanese coastline, according to RMS, which said the intensity of the storm during this time is expected to remain fairly constant.

At least 12 of the storm deaths were reported in Hyogo Prefecture--most of them in the town of Sayo, and another in the neighboring Okayama Prefecture, after a landslide there flattened two houses.

Two other people are reported missing in Tokushima on the southwestern island of Shikoku.

Sayo was reported to have been flooded after heavy rain caused a river to burst its banks and inundate about 480 houses.

"The waters caused the walls of buildings to collapse, trees to topple and cars and household property to be washed away," said Neena Saith, senior catastrophe response manager at RMS.

Japanese television video of Sayo showed police and rescue personnel carrying out evacuation activity and removing a body, while troops provided tankers with drinking water. It also displayed torn roadways, upended cars, and debris-strewn homes and offices.

The Japan Meteorological Agency, Ms. Saith said, has "warned that Tropical Storm Etau could trigger further landslides as it moves westwards along the coast. More than 47,000 people in Western Japan have been told to leave their homes after being warned that Etau could bring extremely heavy rainfall to many parts of Honshu."

The storm has also caused disruption to air and rail travel, with six domestic flights cancelled from Fukuoka airport and rail services on at least 15 train lines suspended across the country due to heavy rains.

RMS said it is continuing to monitor the impacts of Etau.

Meanwhile, in Taiwan, where Typhoon Morakot hit, hundreds were reported trapped by mudslides that buried homes in the village of Shiao Lin on Sunday. So far, nearly 70 confirmed deaths have been reported.

Officials, who yesterday estimated agricultural damage from Typhoon Morakot amounted to at least 4.2 billion Taiwan dollars (about $130 million at current exchange rates), today reported massive damage to fish farming operations.

The Taiwan Council of Agriculture put the damage to aquaculture at 2.91 billion Taiwan dollars ($88.72 million).

Fish farms with a combined area of 14,411 acres were said to have been affected. In addition, 80,815 hogs, 2.7 million chickens and 709,000 ducks were reported killed.

Special Reports /

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