Four people were killed and17 were missing after the most powerful typhoon to hit Japan in decadesparalysed Tokyo, flooding rivers and putting millions under evacuation warningbefore it plowed up the northeastern coast.
Authorities lifted rain andflood warnings for the Kanto region around a becalmed Tokyo before dawn butimposed them on areas further north after Typhoon Hagibis blasted through thecapital.
Attention focused onFukushima, where Tokyo Electric Power Co overnight reported irregular readingsfrom sensors monitoring water in its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which wascrippled by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Four people died in Chiba,Gunma, Kanagawa and Fukushima prefectures surrounding Tokyo, public broadcasterNHK. Among them was a man in his 60s who was found with no vital signs in aflooded apartment in Kawasaki, NHK said. Seventeen were missing early Sunday,it said.
The heavy rain caused ariver in Nagano prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, to flood its banks. Some housesalong the Chikuma river were nearly fully submerged in water and at least oneperson was rescued from the roof of a house by helicopter, NHK said. Part of aroad was swept away in flooding.
Authorities issuedevacuation advisories and orders for more than 6 million people across Japan asthe storm unleashed the heaviest rain and winds in years. Some 80 injuries havebeen reported so far, while more than 270,000 households lost power, NHK said.
The storm, which thegovernment said could be the strongest to hit Tokyo since 1958, broughtrecord-breaking rainfall in many areas, including the popular resort town ofHakone, which was hit with 939.5 mm (37 inches) of rain over 24 hours.
