Chaos in Japan Today! 5 Meters of Super Snow Storm Buries Many Homes, Cars in Aomori скачать в хорошем качестве

Chaos in Japan Today! 5 Meters of Super Snow Storm Buries Many Homes, Cars in Aomori

Japan is currently grappling with one of the most severe winter seasons in recent history. A relentless "winter-type pressure pattern" has funneled freezing Arctic air across the Sea of Japan, dumping historic levels of snow across the archipelago. From the northern reaches of Hokkaido to the coastal towns of San-in, the nation is struggling to maintain basic infrastructure as the snow depth in several regions has exceeded double the annual average. The resulting moist, unstable air creates "snow clouds" of immense vertical thickness, which then collide with Japan’s central mountain ranges, releasing massive amounts of snow in a very short period. The human cost of the storm has been devastating. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency has confirmed 27 fatalities linked directly to the heavy snowfall since mid-January. The majority of deaths have occurred in Niigata, Akita, and Yamagata Prefectures. Analysis of the casualties reveals a grim pattern. Over 60% of the victims were elderly residents who fell while attempting to clear heavy snow from their roofs. The city of Uonuma saw over 90 cm of fresh snow in a single 24-hour window, bringing its total snowpack to nearly 3 meters. As of Monday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that snow accumulation in Sukayu, a mountainous area in Aomori, has reached a staggering 4.8 meters (15.7 feet). In Aomori City itself, the snow depth has surpassed 210 cm, nearly triple the average for early February. Two elderly men in Hirosaki died after falling while attempting to clear snow from their rooftops. In Hachinohe, a woman was found deceased after being trapped under a massive snow slide from her own garage roof. Aomori serves as the critical gateway between Japan’s main island (Honshu) and the northern island of Hokkaido. This gateway is currently shut. Heavy, wet snow has caused power lines to snap in the Mutsu Peninsula, leaving approximately 8,000 homes without heating in sub-zero temperatures. Approximately 1,200 households in the mountainous regions of Nagaoka and Tokamachi are currently cut off from the outside world due to massive snowdrifts blocking all access roads. The Kan-Etsu Expressway and the Hokuriku Expressway have seen sections closed for over 72 hours. At its peak, a massive traffic jam involving nearly 2,000 vehicles stretched for over 15 kilometers near the Kan-etsu Tunnel. #blizzard #snow #snowfall #snowstorm #japan