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Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said Tuesday it was taking measures to protect the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as a powerful typhoon approached Shikoku. Rainfall of up to 80 centimeters in Shikoku is expected in the next 24 hours, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned on Tuesday, adding that the Kanto region will also experience downpours.
While the typhoon is not forecast to hit the Fukushima region full on, the agency said torrential rain is expected in the disaster-ravaged northeast through Thursday.
Emergency teams have been working to stabilize the Fukushima plant since the March 11 tsunami triggered reactor meltdowns. The outer structures of reactors one, three and four were blown off or damaged by explosions and fires.
"Emergency workers reduced the amount of cooling water to inject into reactor numbers one and two out of fears that rain water may increase contaminated water levels as the typhoon comes," said TEPCO spokeswoman Ai Tanaka. "We are also making preparations to protect the facility as high waves are expected."
At 4 p.m., Typhoon Ma-On was 40 kilometers south-southeast of Shikoku's southern tip, and 700 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.
For the future, TEPCO plans to create massive casings to cover the damaged units, aiming to reduce further radiation leaks and prevent rain water from getting in. The first casing is expected to be ready in late September.
© Agence France-Presse
24 Comments
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some14some
is it same company that (miserably) failed to protect the facility in the first place?!
Spidapig24
some14some
Yep one and the same. Same company who was scrambling to protect its damaged plant a month or so ago when the last typhoon was approaching. I guess they didnt get far
whiskeysour
Ohhhh nooo call mobile suit Gunduem
gogogo
When are they not... TEPCO staff are boobs and this just proves yet again they are not prepared for anything.
smithinjapan
It's a shame TEPCO decided to ignore all the warnings leading up to the current disasters; they wouldn't have to scramble as they are now.
GW
Any bets they use the typhoon as cover to ditch tons of waste water into the pacific!
christ you wud think by now they wud know Japan is a typhoon-country, not just a safety-country
Utrack
Installing a metal roof onto reactor 3 and cutting the line to the megafloat is their idea of being prepared for the typhoon that's on the way. reactors 1, 2 and 4 just gets a salute.
ExportExpert
These clowns should be trying to protect the public from the damn nuclear plant, something they should have done in the beginning by having proper measures in place before the tsunami / quake, this tepco lot should be tried by a court of their victims
ExportExpert
And the headline should read tepco's management's' brains are scrambled.
Spidapig24
ExportExpert,
Sorry but you are just plain wrong there! TEPCO's management have no brains to scramble, that fact has been shown time and again over the past months.
smithinjapan
ExportExpert: "And the headline should read tepco's management's' brains are scrambled."
That simply wouldn't be news. It's been a well known fact for a couple of decades at least. The news would be if Japan said something besides 'shouganai' and did something about it.
himehentai
typhoon-smyphoon.
It will amount to nothing. They always do.
A bit of wind and a bit of rain. Barely worse than rainy season for Tokyo, and the same for Kansai. Over cautious nonsense as usual.
Smorkian
Certainly that far north. Probably get a fair amount of rain in Kanto, though.
Photoman333
smithinjapan The news would be if Japan said something besides 'shouganai' and did something about it.
What does 'shouganai' mean?
himehentai
Shouganai = "thats life" / " Just get on with it" / "tough Bananas" / "Oh well" /
Depends on the context really.
YongYang
@HH: Typhoons kill and injure people, close factories and cause the cancellation of trains and flights. Heavy rains and high winds cause widespread-damage. They amount to that, not 'nothing'.
goddog
Wonderful ocean runoff coming up.
Yubaru
It will amount to nothing. They always do.
More people get injured and die because of thinking like this. The heavy rains in typhoons are not something to be scoffed at especially with the ground as soft as it is in mainland Japan. I have seen typhoons blow over steel reinforced concrete telephone poles with winds as high as 80m p/sec. Granted they wont get that strong, just dont underestimate their strength. Been through too many to show that much disrespect for mother nature.
himehentai
yea. Okay. No respect to big momma ... but ... where is it then?
They happen for sure, but in the south islands and Kyushu etc. The weather "warnings" we are getting in Kansai are just unnecessary scaremongering.
Heda_Madness
Over cautious nonesense...
Until very recently this board used to get equally flippant when tsunami's weren't as large as predicted. Let's hope we can continue to be so flippant about the typhoon warnings for a very long time to come.
himehentai
okay... don't want to sound flippant about natural disasters. I know they CAN be serious.
However this is not even a typhoon any more. Its been downgraded to a tropical storm. It just seems like this whole "panic" stuff is a bit unnecessary .. thats all ...
kurisupisu
This typhoon has overturned cars in Kyushu,hardly a trifle I think.
People die in typhoon weather in Japan so they are not to be taken lightly.
The radiation will spread more and let's hope the reactor housings and buildings are not damaged further.
Anyone wishing to see a comprehensive bilingual report on the fallout and the 'true' numbers should take a look here...............
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/16056589
Teachmeteachyou
Well, whatever criticisms people have for the past, I really hope they can protect the plant from this typhoon/heavy rain. The part of all this I'm least comfortable with is the fact everything is being left to TEPCO. No, I don't mean 'poor TEPCO, I fell sorry for you'. I mean whatever resources are available should be given to them to solve these problems, whatever the cost. I get the impression the central government doesn't want to get too publicly involved because of issues of liability. Well, that's fine, but I hope they are privately very involved, as even breaking it down into financial figures, prevention is the best cure.
ihavegreatlegs
[http://cam6067746.miemasu.net/CgiStart?page=Single&Language=1]
If you think taifu should not be respected, look at what it is doing to my surfing area at Kugenuma Kaigan in South Kanagawa. Totally trashed. Will help with beach clean-up after I fly back.