Deadly Typhoon Phanfone Hits Japan And Sweeps Away 3 US Airmen To The Sea

By Staff Reporter | Oct 06, 2014 12:45 PM EDT

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Typhoon Phanfone, a powerful and deadly tropical storm battled through Japan bringing heavy blustery weather and rainfall. The typhoon forced over two million people to evacuate their homes. And three US airmen based on Okinawa were swept away into the sea Sunday while taking photographs.

After the deadly September 27 volcano eruption, Japan once again faced another catastrophe. A powerful typhoon battled through Japan's congested Kanto before moving offshore Monday, bringing heavy airstream and rain, pushing over 400,000 people into provisional shelters. The storm pulled three US airmen into heavy surf.

As stated by Japan's coast guard, three US airmen were swept away into the sea while taking photographs on Okinawa Island on Sunday. Officials said that 25,000 American troops were based there. The deadly typhoon killed one of them and left two others missing.

The deadly typhoon ceased the recovery missions at the site of last month's lethal volcano eruption, where 51 people were killed and at least 12 others were missing. Meanwhile, the US Air Force inveterate that three airmen were swept away to the sea and that one of them had died.

On Monday, Typhoon Phanfone came onto land near Hamamatsu City shortly past 8 in the morning. Authorities issued evacuation warnings for approximately half a million people in the storm's trail, which encompassed the northeast Japan's Tohoku region. The region was struck hard by earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Due to the heavy rain caused by the typhoon, the bullet train service was suspended between Tokyo and Osaka and over 600 flights were canceled at Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports. Most rail user lines were likely to run on shortened schedules. Most schools, businesses and government offices in the Tokyo area remained open.

Because of the perfidious settings created by the deadly typhoon mixed with 2 feet of ash on the ground, authorities suspended search operations at central Japan's Mount Ontake early Sunday, the site of the September 27 volcano eruption. The typhoon swept away 3 US airmen into the sea. The search resumed on hold Monday for dread of landslips in the sharp landscape.

The Japan Meteorological Agency cautioned that deadly Typhoon Phanfone could bring as much as 3 to 4 inches of rain per hour in the Tohoku region even after moving offshore Monday. Because of the typhoon, the Formula One race at Suzuka took an early end Sunday after a severe crash.

The deadly typhoon that swept away three US airmen also left French driver Jules Bianchi in critical condition after surgery for a head injury. After his Ferrari-powered Marussia car went off the track while turning and collide with equipment that was in place to remove another car that had previously crashed in the same corner.

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