Typhoon Man-yi made landfall in Japan on Monday, blasting a swath of the island nation with several inches of rain per hour and 100 mile-per-hour winds, leaving at least two people dead, flooding thousands of homes and prompting the government to call for the evacuation of at least 400,000 residents from four prefectures.
Western Japan, particularly Kyoto, Shiga, Hyogo and Mie prefectures, were the worst hit by the storm as it blew across Japan Monday morning before being downgraded to a tropical storm as it continues to dump rain as it made its way northeast.
In less than 48 hours, double the annual rainfall had accumulated in parts of Kyoto and Shiga prefectures.
More than 100 people were injured as of Monday night, The Associated Press reported, citing public officials. Among the dead were two elderly women who were killed in mudslides.
Japan's Meteorological Agency called the rainfall, which at its peak poured from the sky at a rate of three inches (8 centimeters) per hour, an "unprecedented" event.
In the city of Kyoto, a popular tourist destination, the city's major Katsura River flooded, prompting the evacuation of 260,000 people in Kyoto city alone. Tourits in Kyoto were reportedly taken to safety via rescue boats.
Man-yi caused the temporary suspension of transportation services around the country, with hundreds of flights being grounded and bullet train services suspended. Ground transportation had mostly resumed by Monday evening, the AP reported.
At the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station, workers reportedly pumped quickly accumulating rainwater into the sea.
"Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the rainwater was being released to the ocean and was believed to be untainted. TEPCO said it was pumping away the water to reduce the risk of flooding and potential tank leaks mixing with rainwater, then seeping into the soil or flowing into the sea," the AP reported.