”It’s like Godzilla is attacking.”
Japan is currently recovering from the raging winds of Typhoon Jebi, which tore through the central part of the main island of Honshu on Tuesday. While late-summer storms are nothing new for Japan, Jebi’s intensity means that this time there are far more pieces that need picking up than usual.
We’ve already taken a look at some of the startling displays of the typhoon’s power, but more continue to be shared by those who were in and around Jebi. Part of what made the storm so destructive is that unlike the typical scenario, where typhoons lose strength after making landfall on the less-developed southwestern sectors of Japan and moving inland, Jebi was still extremely powerful as it slammed right into densely populated cities like Osaka, where infrastructure perched atop high-rises was directly in the path of the merciless winds, resulting in this explosion that took place near Hyogo Prefecture’s Koshien Stadium, the closest stop to the stadium which hosts Japan’s national baseball tournament finals.
Elsewhere, the wind sent this maintenance storeroom tumbling off the roof it was built on all the way down to the street eight stories below, where luckily no one happened to be standing at the time.
As mentioned above, most typhoons come up to Japan from the southeast, making Kochi Prefecture, the southwestern prefecture on the island of Shikoku, experience their full force. This footage from Kochi shows terrifyingly huge waves caused by Jebi; for reference, the lighthouse seen to the left of the channel, which is dwarfed by the waves striking the seawall, is said to be roughly 10 meters (32.8 feet) tall.
▼ “It’s like Godzilla is attacking,” tweeted @katou443.
As always, it’s important to take cover inside during such violent storms. Trying to drive through them can be extremely dangerous, as shown when the wind almost flips over this compact one-box that’s pulling into a parking lot.
▼ Though the driver makes a skillful save
Further proving that Jebi has no respect for motor vehicles, this video shows the storm nonchalantly tipping over a shipping truck that was parked with its container angled into the wind.
So really, the best thing to do is to heed the advice of the authorities and head home before the storm is upon you.
Sources: Otakomu, Hachima Kiko, IT Media