Typhoon Kirogi (2000)
Encyclopedia
Typhoon Kirogi was a large typhoon that caused severe damage in Japan
during early July 2000. Forming out of an area of disturbed weather on June 30, Kirogi initially tracked slowly towards the north. On July 3, the storm underwent rapid intensification
and attained Category 4 status on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale the next day, according to the JTWC. On July 5, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) assessed the storm to have reached its peak intensity with winds of 155 km/h (100 mph 10-minute sustained) and a barometric pressure of 940 mbar (hPa; 27.76 inHg). Over the following several days, the storm tracked towards the northeast and accelerated towards Japan. Early on July 8, Kirogi brushed eastern Japan before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone
.
Initial news reports stated that Kirogi produced deadly flooding in the Philippines
; however, the storm was too far from the country to have any impacts. In Japan, Kirogi produced torrential rainfall and high winds, killing five people and leaving 15 billion (2001 JPY
, $140 million USD
) in damages. Flooding inundated nearly 1,300 homes around Tokyo
and high winds cut power to roughly 20,000 residences. Three homes were destroyed in a landslide on Kozushima
.
on June 30, 2000, associated with a weak area of low pressure
, situated roughly 650 km (405 mi) east of the Philippine island of Mindanao
. The system remained nearly stationary for two days as it became increasingly organized. On July 1, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
as they anticipated the low to develop into a significant tropical cyclone
within 24 hours. Around 0600 UTC the following day, the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) began monitoring the system as a tropical depression. At the same time, the JTWC also classified the system as Tropical Depression 05W and six hours later, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA) began issuing advisories on the same system, classifying it as Tropical Depression Ditang.
Throughout the day on July 2, the depression began to take a slow northward track in response to a mid-level subtropical
ridge
to the east and later that day, the JTWC upgraded it to a tropical storm. Early the next day, the JMA also upgraded the system to a tropical storm, at which time it received the name Kirogi. Although a broad cyclone, convection was gradually wrapping around the southern periphery of the circulation. Several hours after being named, the JMA upgraded Kirogi to a severe tropical storm and later a typhoon. At the same time, the JTWC classified the storm as a typhoon. Upon being upgraded the typhoon featured a well-developed outflow
and prominent banding features
consolidating around the system.
Not long after attaining typhoon intensity, Kirogi began to undergo rapid intensification
. Roughly 18 hours later, the JTWC reported that the storm had attained its peak intensity with winds of 215 km/h (135 mph 1-minute sustained), equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. By this time, the typhoon was situated roughly 870 km (540 mi) southeast of Okinawa. The storm featured a 59 km (37 mi) wide symmetrical eye
. Early on July 5, the JMA reported that Kirogi attained its peak intensity with winds of 155 km/h (100 mph 10-minute sustained) and a barometric pressure of 940 mbar (hPa; 27.76 inHg). The storm was a relatively large typhoon, with a gale diameter of 520 km (325 mi).
Several hours after attaining peak intensity on July 5, a mid-level trough
caused convection around the center of Kirogi to weaken and the eye became cloud-filled. Later in the day, most of the convective bands were confined to the eastern periphery of the system. Around this time, the storm took a northeasterly track, which it maintained for several days. Increasing in forward motion, the storm began to weaken; however, it also grew in size. By July 6, the storm had a gale-diameter of 925 km (575 mi). Gradual weakening took place as Kirogi tracked towards Japan, with both the JTWC and JMA reporting sustained winds at 140 km/h (85 mph) by July 7. Early on July 8, the storm brushed the eastern coast of Japan near Chōshi, Chiba
with winds of 130 km/h (80 mph 10-minute sustained). Several hours later, the typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone
near the southeast coast of Hokkaido
. By this time, the storm took a sharp eastward turn and briefly slowed before re-accelerating. The remnants of the storm persisted until July 10, at which time it dissipated to the southwest of the Aleutian Islands.
To measure wind speeds at the storm's center, the Japan Meteorological Agency and Joint Typhoon Warning Center use 10-minute sustained winds and one-minute sustained winds respectively. The conversion factor between 10-minute and one-minute winds is 1.14x. The JMA's peak intensity for Kirogi was 155 km/h (100 mph) 10-minute sustained, or 185 km/h (115 mph) one-minute sustained. The JTWC's peak intensity for Kirogi was 215 km/h (135 mph) one-minute sustained, or 185 km/h (115 mph) 10-minute sustained.
of the storm produced heavy rainfall in the Philippines
, resulting in 16 fatalities. However, a meteorological analysis of the storm showed that Kirogi was not responsible for the rain; instead, a monsoon
depression that later became Typhoon Kai-tak caused the flooding rains. Typhoon Kirogi was never closer than 835 km (520 mi) from the Philippines. However, large swells
produced by the storm caused moderate damage along coastal areas of the Philippines, forcing workers in Manila to clear debris left by the damaging waves.
, prompting hundreds of residents to evacuate. A total of 120 flights were canceled ahead of the storm and 30 ferry services were halted due to rough seas up to 9 m (29.5 ft). On Kozushima, 788 residents were evacuated as heavy rain from the typhoon produced landslides. Forecasters warned that upwards of 250 mm (9.8 in) of rain could fall in the Tokyo region. In the city of Tokyo, Japanese officials ordered 800 residents to evacuate to shelters due to the threat of Typhoon Kirogi.
Since the storm weakened considerably from its peak intensity, damage was much less than initially anticipated. In all, damages from the storm amounted to 15 billion (2001 JPY
, $140 million USD
). Three people were killed by the storm, all of whom were found in irrigation ditches. The first fatality was an 81-year-old man, the second was a 30-year-old man who lost control of his car and crashed into a ditch, and the last fatality was a 3-year-old boy who fell in a ditch near his home. Two 11-year-old boys, initially reported as missing, were later found in a ditch after being swept away by flood waters.
About 1,300 homes were inundated by flood waters around Tokyo and three were destroyed on Kōzushima
by a landslide. Widespread power outages took place, leaving an estimated 20,000 people without power in Kanagawa
and Shizuoka
prefectures as winds up to 177 km/h (110 mph) knocked down trees and power lines. Rainfall from the storm fell at rates of 55 mm/h (2.2 in/h). Total amounts reached 416 mm (16.4 in) in Tokyo, 400 mm (15.7 in) on Izu Ōshima
and 357 mm (14.1 in) in Ogatsu, Miyagi Prefecture
. These rains were more than double the monthly average for July in eastern Japan.
Rainfall up to 182 mm (7.2 in) caused flooding throughout eastern Hokkaidō
, resulting in widespread agricultural losses. Throughout Aomori Prefecture
, large stretches of roads were washed out by flood waters and several thousand homes were inundated. Damage from the storm in Aomori was estimated at 600 million (2001 JPY, $6.6 million USD). In Obihiro, Hokkaidō
, a total of 2957 ha (7,306.9 acre) of agricultural land was inundated by flood waters. The fishing industry in Urakawa District, Hokkaidō
sustained severe losses, amounting to 889 million (2001 JPY, $10 million USD). High winds in the district resulted in moderate roof damage to several homes, some of which lost their roofs.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during early July 2000. Forming out of an area of disturbed weather on June 30, Kirogi initially tracked slowly towards the north. On July 3, the storm underwent rapid intensification
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
and attained Category 4 status on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale the next day, according to the JTWC. On July 5, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) assessed the storm to have reached its peak intensity with winds of 155 km/h (100 mph 10-minute sustained) and a barometric pressure of 940 mbar (hPa; 27.76 inHg). Over the following several days, the storm tracked towards the northeast and accelerated towards Japan. Early on July 8, Kirogi brushed eastern Japan before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
.
Initial news reports stated that Kirogi produced deadly flooding in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
; however, the storm was too far from the country to have any impacts. In Japan, Kirogi produced torrential rainfall and high winds, killing five people and leaving 15 billion (2001 JPY
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
, $140 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) in damages. Flooding inundated nearly 1,300 homes around Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and high winds cut power to roughly 20,000 residences. Three homes were destroyed in a landslide on Kozushima
Kozushima
is a volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea, administered by Tōkyō and located approximately northwest of the Miyakejima and southwest of the Niijima. It is one of the Izu Seven Islands group of the seven northern islands of the Izu archipelago....
.
Meteorological history
Typhoon Kirogi originated out of a disorganized area of showers and thunderstormsAtmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
on June 30, 2000, associated with a weak area of low pressure
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
, situated roughly 650 km (405 mi) east of the Philippine island of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. The system remained nearly stationary for two days as it became increasingly organized. On July 1, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
as they anticipated the low to develop into a significant tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
within 24 hours. Around 0600 UTC the following day, the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA) began monitoring the system as a tropical depression. At the same time, the JTWC also classified the system as Tropical Depression 05W and six hours later, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
(PAGASA) began issuing advisories on the same system, classifying it as Tropical Depression Ditang.
Throughout the day on July 2, the depression began to take a slow northward track in response to a mid-level subtropical
Subtropical cyclone
A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of a tropical and an extratropical cyclone. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were unclear whether they should be characterized as tropical or extratropical cyclones. They were officially recognized by the National...
ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
to the east and later that day, the JTWC upgraded it to a tropical storm. Early the next day, the JMA also upgraded the system to a tropical storm, at which time it received the name Kirogi. Although a broad cyclone, convection was gradually wrapping around the southern periphery of the circulation. Several hours after being named, the JMA upgraded Kirogi to a severe tropical storm and later a typhoon. At the same time, the JTWC classified the storm as a typhoon. Upon being upgraded the typhoon featured a well-developed outflow
Outflow (meteorology)
Outflow, in meteorology, is air that flows outwards from a storm system. It is associated with ridging, or anticyclonic flow. In the low levels of the troposphere, outflow radiates from thunderstorms in the form of a wedge of rain-cooled air, which is visible as a thin rope-like cloud on weather...
and prominent banding features
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
consolidating around the system.
Not long after attaining typhoon intensity, Kirogi began to undergo rapid intensification
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
. Roughly 18 hours later, the JTWC reported that the storm had attained its peak intensity with winds of 215 km/h (135 mph 1-minute sustained), equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. By this time, the typhoon was situated roughly 870 km (540 mi) southeast of Okinawa. The storm featured a 59 km (37 mi) wide symmetrical eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
. Early on July 5, the JMA reported that Kirogi attained its peak intensity with winds of 155 km/h (100 mph 10-minute sustained) and a barometric pressure of 940 mbar (hPa; 27.76 inHg). The storm was a relatively large typhoon, with a gale diameter of 520 km (325 mi).
Several hours after attaining peak intensity on July 5, a mid-level trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
caused convection around the center of Kirogi to weaken and the eye became cloud-filled. Later in the day, most of the convective bands were confined to the eastern periphery of the system. Around this time, the storm took a northeasterly track, which it maintained for several days. Increasing in forward motion, the storm began to weaken; however, it also grew in size. By July 6, the storm had a gale-diameter of 925 km (575 mi). Gradual weakening took place as Kirogi tracked towards Japan, with both the JTWC and JMA reporting sustained winds at 140 km/h (85 mph) by July 7. Early on July 8, the storm brushed the eastern coast of Japan near Chōshi, Chiba
Choshi, Chiba
is a city located on the Pacific Ocean coast of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the easternmost city in the Greater Tokyo Area. The easternmost point in the Greater Tokyo Area is Cape Inubō....
with winds of 130 km/h (80 mph 10-minute sustained). Several hours later, the typhoon weakened to a severe tropical storm before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
near the southeast coast of Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
. By this time, the storm took a sharp eastward turn and briefly slowed before re-accelerating. The remnants of the storm persisted until July 10, at which time it dissipated to the southwest of the Aleutian Islands.
To measure wind speeds at the storm's center, the Japan Meteorological Agency and Joint Typhoon Warning Center use 10-minute sustained winds and one-minute sustained winds respectively. The conversion factor between 10-minute and one-minute winds is 1.14x. The JMA's peak intensity for Kirogi was 155 km/h (100 mph) 10-minute sustained, or 185 km/h (115 mph) one-minute sustained. The JTWC's peak intensity for Kirogi was 215 km/h (135 mph) one-minute sustained, or 185 km/h (115 mph) 10-minute sustained.
Philippines
In the typhoon's early stages, news reports stated that the outer bandsRainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
of the storm produced heavy rainfall in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, resulting in 16 fatalities. However, a meteorological analysis of the storm showed that Kirogi was not responsible for the rain; instead, a monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
depression that later became Typhoon Kai-tak caused the flooding rains. Typhoon Kirogi was never closer than 835 km (520 mi) from the Philippines. However, large swells
Swell (ocean)
A swell, in the context of an ocean, sea or lake, is a series surface gravity waves that is not generated by the local wind. Swell waves often have a long wavelength but this varies with the size of the water body, e.g. rarely more than 150 m in the Mediterranean, and from event to event, with...
produced by the storm caused moderate damage along coastal areas of the Philippines, forcing workers in Manila to clear debris left by the damaging waves.
Japan
In Japan, Kirogi became the first typhoon to threaten the city of Tokyo since a storm in the 1989 Pacific typhoon season1989 Pacific typhoon season
The 1989 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1989, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern...
, prompting hundreds of residents to evacuate. A total of 120 flights were canceled ahead of the storm and 30 ferry services were halted due to rough seas up to 9 m (29.5 ft). On Kozushima, 788 residents were evacuated as heavy rain from the typhoon produced landslides. Forecasters warned that upwards of 250 mm (9.8 in) of rain could fall in the Tokyo region. In the city of Tokyo, Japanese officials ordered 800 residents to evacuate to shelters due to the threat of Typhoon Kirogi.
Since the storm weakened considerably from its peak intensity, damage was much less than initially anticipated. In all, damages from the storm amounted to 15 billion (2001 JPY
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
, $140 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
). Three people were killed by the storm, all of whom were found in irrigation ditches. The first fatality was an 81-year-old man, the second was a 30-year-old man who lost control of his car and crashed into a ditch, and the last fatality was a 3-year-old boy who fell in a ditch near his home. Two 11-year-old boys, initially reported as missing, were later found in a ditch after being swept away by flood waters.
About 1,300 homes were inundated by flood waters around Tokyo and three were destroyed on Kōzushima
Kozushima
is a volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea, administered by Tōkyō and located approximately northwest of the Miyakejima and southwest of the Niijima. It is one of the Izu Seven Islands group of the seven northern islands of the Izu archipelago....
by a landslide. Widespread power outages took place, leaving an estimated 20,000 people without power in Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
and Shizuoka
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
prefectures as winds up to 177 km/h (110 mph) knocked down trees and power lines. Rainfall from the storm fell at rates of 55 mm/h (2.2 in/h). Total amounts reached 416 mm (16.4 in) in Tokyo, 400 mm (15.7 in) on Izu Ōshima
Izu Oshima
is a volcanic island in the Izu Islands and administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, Japan, lies about 100 km south of Tokyo, 22 km east of the Izu Peninsula and 36 km southwest of Bōsō Peninsula. serves as the local government of the island...
and 357 mm (14.1 in) in Ogatsu, Miyagi Prefecture
Ogatsu, Miyagi
Ogatsu is a town located in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.On April 1, 2005, Ishinomaki was merged with six towns, Kahoku, Kanan, Kitakami, Monou and Ogatsu, all from the former Monou District, and Oshika, from Oshika District, to more than quadruple its area and added nearly 60,000 people...
. These rains were more than double the monthly average for July in eastern Japan.
Rainfall up to 182 mm (7.2 in) caused flooding throughout eastern Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, resulting in widespread agricultural losses. Throughout Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
, large stretches of roads were washed out by flood waters and several thousand homes were inundated. Damage from the storm in Aomori was estimated at 600 million (2001 JPY, $6.6 million USD). In Obihiro, Hokkaidō
Obihiro, Hokkaido
is a city located in Tokachi, Hokkaidō, Japan. Obihiro is the only city in the Tokachi area. The next most populous municipality in Tokachi is the town of Otofuke, with less than a third of Obihiro's population. The city has approximately 500 foreign residents . The city contains the headquarters...
, a total of 2957 ha (7,306.9 acre) of agricultural land was inundated by flood waters. The fishing industry in Urakawa District, Hokkaidō
Urakawa District, Hokkaido
is a district located in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2004, the district has an estimated population of 15,986 and a density of 23.03 persons per km². The total area is 694.23 km².-Towns and villages:*Urakawa...
sustained severe losses, amounting to 889 million (2001 JPY, $10 million USD). High winds in the district resulted in moderate roof damage to several homes, some of which lost their roofs.