The new norm: Japanese experts warn of more rain, raging rivers and submerged homes
By Alex Martin
It was only last month that compact Typhoon Faxai nailed the Kanto region, blowing off roofs and triggering massive blackouts in Chiba Prefecture. But the damage from giant Hagibis — which had morphed into the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane before weakening upon approach — was a double whammy for areas struggling to get back on their feet and a wake-up call on how centralized disaster planning seems to be failing Japan.
[…]
Accurate forecasts of intensity and moisture are vital to prepare for incoming typhoons, but Tsuboki said the methods employed by the Meteorological Agency using satellite images are inadequate. “Ideally, we should be flying weather observation aircraft, but that’s still at an experimental stage.”
[…]
“Corporations need to be more flexible, closing offices or allowing employees to telecommute in these instances,” Tsunashima said. “In the meantime, cities need to devise measures to boost the resilience of critical transportation infrastructure while reviewing and improving transport policy,” he said, suggesting the wider implementation of so-called bus rapid transit systems.
[…]
“People need to understand that levees aren’t impenetrable and could break if enough pressure is applied,” said Norio Maki, a professor at Kyoto University’s Disaster Prevention Research Institute. “We need to be prepared for the worst and devise evacuation plans and insure our homes in the event that disaster strikes.”
[…]