The powerful Typhoon No. 15 (aka Typhoon Goni) swept through northern Kyushu after making landfall near Arao City, Kumamoto around 6:00 on Aug. 25. Striking right before the morning rush hour, the storm paralyzed transportation for the entire day. The typhoon also temporarily knocked out four generators at two power plants, the Shin-Kokura Power Plant in Kitakyushu City and the Kanda Power Plant in Kanda Town, causing to nearly 475,000 homes to lose power. At the time of press (22:00 on Aug. 25), 179,000 homes were still without power. In Kumamoto, a mudslide in Yamae Village left 19 homes temporarily inaccessible, while another mudslide in Yatsushiro City blocked off the JR Hisatsu Line. Hourly rainfall hit a record high 134.5 mm at Mt. Unzen in Nagasaki, while the strongest winds, at 45.9 m/s, were recorded in Makurazaki City, Kagoshima. According to statistics compiled by Nishinippon Shimbun, 57 people sustained injuries from the typhoon. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 8/26
