In the wake of the devastating typhoon, the worst one in six decades, we have received many inquiries about the safety of the Tokyo secretariat team and its families. Gratefully, we here in Tokyo are all safe and the IAPH offices are open! Reportedly there has been no damage made to ports and harbors in Japan.
Typhoon Hagibis has brought extraordinary amounts of rainfall in many areas of the country, causing more than a dozen rivers to overflow. In the flooded areas mainly in Eastern Japan, many thousands of people were evacuated to local schools, gymnasiums, civic halls and centers. According to our public broadcaster NHK, the typhoon has left more than 30 people dead, 200 injured and 10 missing in its wake, and the search and rescue operations for those missing still continues by rescue teams.
Again, thank you for your concerns and prayers.
