5 dead after Typhoon hits Japan

Typhoon Lan traveled out to sea early Monday after hitting Japan's east coast, killing at least five people.

The powerful storm brought 100 mph winds as it struck Shizuoka Prefecture and dumped more than 30 inches of rain in 48 hours, beginning Sunday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. A gust of 164.5 mph was recorded in Okayama province.

The deaths included a man and woman who officials said drowned in their cars, a man who fell from a construction site scaffold, and one who fell from his boat. Another was hurt after he was caught in a mudslide, Japan Today reported.

More than 200,000 people were ordered to evacuate by the country's Fire and Disaster Management Agency, with 2.2 million more homes under advisory to evacuate.

The typhoon, which struck Taiwan before turning north toward Japan, was the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane, according to the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale.

The storm weakened as it passed east of Tokyo, with little disruption to Monday morning commuters. Still, more than 100 flights were canceled by Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. The Tokaido Shinkansen commuter train from Osaka to Tokyo was delayed, as were some local commuter trains.

Tokyo-area manufacturing facilities, notably those of the Toyota, canceled shifts Monday.

Credit to UPI

Air Force preparing B-52 bombers for 24-hour alert status

The U.S. Air Force is preparing to place its fleet of nuclear-armed B-52 bombers on 24-hour alert for the first time since 1991 amid escalating tensions with North Korea, the military branch's chief of staff said in a report Sunday.

Defense officials denied to Fox News that bombers were ordered to go on 24-hour alert, but Gen. David Goldfein told Defense One it could happen.

“This is yet one more step in ensuring that we’re prepared,” Goldfein said. “I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we’re prepared going forward.”

Credit to Foxnews

Insider: China WILL Attack North Korea if They Launch Again

Japan Warns North Korean Threat Imminent

CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines—Japan’s defense minister said the threat posed by North Korea has grown to an “unprecedented, critical and imminent level,” reflecting a rising sense of urgency over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.

Credit to WSJ