Typhoon Jebi Strikes Kansai: The Airport that’s Gone the Way of the Fabled Flying Trampoline
Picture this: a gigantic typhoon, a crippled runway, and 3,000 stranded jet‑liners stuck on an artificial island.
Back in early September 2018, Typhoon Jebi smashed its way through Osaka’s industrial heartland, blowing a hole straight into the Kansai International Airport’s sole access road. The once‑busy airport, which handles more than 400 flights a day, suddenly became a flooded, office‑building‑turned-golf‑caddie for the world.
- Winds gusted to 216 km/h (135 mph), ripping roofs, tossing trucks off bridges, and even pushing a 2,500‑ton tanker onto the airport bridge.
- High waves forced a partial bridge collapse, cutting the island off from the mainland.
- Runways were flooded, power shafts shut down, and the airport’s “airport” turned into a wet, chaotic playground.
Triumph of the Rescue Boats
While the storm raged, boats became the new “airlines”, ferrying passengers from the drowning jet‑liner dock. By mid‑Wednesday, hundreds had boarded a special ferry to Kobe, but a staggering 2,000 people were still stuck with no signal for rescue.
“We had a blackout, so there was no air conditioning. It was hot,” told a passenger on the boat. “I never expected this amount of damage from a typhoon.”
Government’s Boiler‑Room of Repairs
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (yes, the man who traded a political seat with a plug‑and‑play keyboard) tweeted that the government was working hard to bring the airport back online. He also noted that 2.4 million households lost power and only half had power restored by Wednesday morning. Their promise? “We’ll do our best to get the airport functioning again.”
Destructive Trail: The Damage Beyond the Airport
- Over 1.2 million people were advised to evacuate the Kansai area as the typhoon approached.
- Kyoto’s station saw part of its ceiling swoop down like a bird shouting “Take that!”.
- In Osaka, a 100‑metre ferris wheel spun wildly even when switched off – nature’s baby dance.
- High winds ripped scaffoldings from a multistory building, turning a construction site into an impromptu circus.
Businesses, factories, schools, and even bullet trains grounded. Flights, ferry services—gone—caused a ripple of cancellations, halting the usual hustle and bustle.
How Does Jebi Compare?
Sure, the storm was the strongest in 25 years, but in the grand tour of Japan’s typhoons, it’s a bit of an underdog. In 2011, Typhoon Talas was deadlier killing 82 people, and in 2013, a storm near Tokyo killed 40. Earlier this year, heavy rains in western Japan claimed 200+ lives.
Bottom Line: A Storm for the Books
Typhoon Jebi left a scar on Kansai’s heart, a reminder that even the Sun’s most powerful venturing shoots can throw a wrench into our plans. The airport’s plight, the heroic boat rescues, and officials’ public “let’s fix it” posts are a saga of resilience, a dash of unfortunate humour, and a shout‑out from the government that “we’re on it.”
