From early morning on October 9, torrential rain battered the island, reducing visibility to near zero as wind-driven sheets of rain swept across the area. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that more than 120 millimeters of rain fell within just one hour, accompanied by maximum gusts reaching 54.7 meters per second.
Power outages affected approximately 6,480 households across the island. At Hachijo View Hotel, only emergency lights were functioning before dawn, while the dining area ceiling began leaking heavily. Staff members scrambled to contain the water with buckets and flashlights, but the floor quickly flooded.
“This is the worst we’ve ever seen,” one hotel employee said. Leaks have started appearing in several other areas as well.
Another hotel reported that strong gusts shattered windows in its restaurant, and puddles formed throughout the building.
By the afternoon, the JMA downgraded the special heavy rain warning for Hachijo Town to a standard heavy rain alert, but severe conditions persisted.
When residents finally ventured outside after the storm, they were met with scenes of devastation. A ramen shop had its roof torn off and walls destroyed, exposing its frame.
“I never imagined the roof would be blown away,” said the shop owner. “I’m lost for words. I was prepared for some damage, but this is overwhelming.”
In one parking lot, a small car was flipped and hurled onto the road by the fierce wind.
“Something like a tornado must have passed through,” the car’s owner explained. “My car was completely overturned. It’s beyond repair.”
A company president described how the walls of his materials yard were blown off, and plywood flooring was soaked through.
“The wood is completely ruined,” he lamented.
Fallen trees blocked multiple roads, with several large trunks completely cutting off access.
“It’s terrible,” said one long-time resident. “I’ve lived here 80 years and never seen anything like this.”
Streetlights along sidewalks were also bent out of shape by the powerful wind.
On nearby Aogashima Island, the garage roof of a house was ripped off.
“Small stones came flying like machine-gun fire,” one resident recalled. “They shattered two windows—it was terrifying.”
While Typhoon No. 22 left behind significant destruction, meteorologists are now warning of a new storm, Typhoon No. 23, which has formed south of Japan. It is expected to approach Okinawa between October 10 and 11 before tracking north toward Honshu over the three-day holiday weekend.
Meanwhile, several hotels on Hachijo Island have suspended operations due to severe damage. Hachijo Park Hotel reported that the roofs of its second-floor dining hall and large bath area were completely torn off.
“This is the first time in 55 years of operation we’ve experienced such damage,” a staff member said.
The hotel also stated, “We want to inform guests with upcoming reservations that we cannot accommodate them, but with both electricity and Wi-Fi down, we have no way to reach them.”
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