A powerful tornado that struck Makinohara and nearby areas in Shizuoka Prefecture last week during Typhoon Peipah has been confirmed as one of the strongest tornadoes ever recorded in Japan. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the tornado packed winds of around 270 kilometers per hour and ranked among the top three strongest on record.
The tornado, which hit on Friday, was rated Level 3 on Japan’s Enhanced Fujita Scale, which ranges from 0 to 5 and has been in use since 2016. This is the same intensity as the tornado that struck Ie Island, Okinawa in 2018, according to JMA.
The destructive winds caused extensive damage, blowing away exterior wall materials from steel-framed buildings and tearing through residential areas.
Casualties and Damage
As of Monday afternoon, local authorities reported:
- 89 people injured
- Around 1,900 properties damaged or flooded
- Fortunately, no deaths have been reported so far.
Power outages affected hundreds of homes in Makinohara, but by 4:30 p.m. Monday, Chubu Electric Power Grid Co. confirmed that electricity had been fully restored.”It was unbearably hot without air conditioning. Now I can finally sleep in peace,” said Yoshihiro Nishitani, a 72-year-old farmer.
Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki emphasized during a meeting the importance of preventing further disaster-related deaths, noting that reconstruction and recovery efforts may take time.
