At least 16 dead, others still missing as tropical storm moves toward northern Japan

TOKYO — A powerful tropical storm churned northward through the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, killing at least 16 people and leaving landslides and flooded towns in its wake.

The storm made landfall late Wednesday night on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, where up to 10 inches of rain was expected by early Thursday, the Meteorological Agency said.

Typhoon Nabi had slammed into southern Japan on Tuesday, flooding towns and driving more than 300,000 people from their homes. About 1,500 soldiers were deployed to fortify coastal defenses and help in the rescue effort.

It lost strength Wednesday as it rolled over the Sea of Japan and was downgraded to a tropical storm. But it still was churning winds of up to 67 mph, the agency said.

Authorities in Japan said at least 16 people were killed in mudslides and flooding. However, Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported 18 deaths and said nine people were still missing.

South Korea's National Emergency Management Agency said two people were missing there, while the country's Yonhap News Agency said the whereabouts of five people were unknown.

More than 70,000 homes, mainly on Kyushu island, were still without electricity Wednesday afternoon, power companies said.

Japan Airlines and its affiliates canceled 47 flights Wednesday morning, while All Nippon Airlines grounded 43 flights, affecting almost 12,000 people. Flights returned to normal in the afternoon, the two companies said.

In Shikoku, the storm brought rain to a region that had seen its water supply dissipate to critical levels over the last few weeks.

Water levels at Sameura Dam, which fell to zero last week and prompted officials to divert water normally used to generate electricity to local communities, rose to 100 percent after heavy rains yesterday, a dam official said on condition of anonymity, citing government policy.

Nabi, meaning butterfly in the Korean language, also caused damage in South Korea, dumping up to 14 inches of rain in southern and eastern parts of the country from Monday through Wednesday morning.

One person was missing after being swept away by a swollen stream in Ulsan, about 255 miles southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday. Another was missing after his car slipped off a rain-slickened road in Gyeongju, about 230 miles southeast of Seoul, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

About 2,330 police and firefighters were carrying out recovery work in Ulsan, one of the hardest-hit cities, it said.

High waves caused a 5,470-ton Vietnamese cargo ship, Long Xuyen, to run aground near the southeastern port city of Pohang, Yonhap said. Its 22 crew members were safe, it said.

Last year, a record 10 typhoons and tropical storms struck Japan, leaving nearly 220 people dead or missing — the largest casualty toll since 1983. South Korea is typically hit by one or two storms a year.