Super typhoon is coming

Last year, people in Shizuoka Prefecture experienced a strong typhoon that caused a power outage for more than 780,000 households. It was at the end of September, and I was traveling in Sweden. When I came home at the beginning of October, the neighborhood I live in had already recovered from the power outage. But it took seven days for the entire area of Hamamatsu to recover completely.

Last month, Chiba Prefecture was hit by a severe typhoon. The recovery is still ongoing, however; another typhoon is coming. It is Super Typhoon Hagibis, which is known as Typhoon #19 in Japan. It is expected to make landfall on the main island Honshu tomorrow, causing heavy rain especially in Central Japan and Kanto District including Tokyo. Because of this typhoon, all Shinkansen service from Tokyo to Nagoya will be canceled on October 12.

As this is my first time to experience a super typhoon, I have been nervous these days. Yesterday, I bought a pack of 8 dry cells for my flashlight. I heard that my parents had used a candle during the power outage last year, but it is much safer to use a flashlight.

On the Internet, there were websites that give tips about how to prepare for a typhoon. I have bought three packs of rye bread in the basement of the JR Hamamatsu Station building, three 2-liter bottles of water, bananas, and apples in case that tap water and gas won’t be available (since packs of rye bread lasts for several months, they are also convenient to keep as emergency food for an earthquake). I have taken the flowerpots and the wash-line pole on the balcony into the room so that they wouldn’t break or move to somewhere. It is also necessary to fill the bathtub to keep water for the sink and the toilet. But I can do it tomorrow. I will stay at home all day as it may be almost impossible to go out.