In Photos: Typhoon Wipha Hits Japan, 17 killed

Typhoon Wipha strikes Japan’s pacific coast on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people while 50 others are still missing.

The typhoon caused flooding and mudslide that destroyed homes and other buildings.

Izu Oshima island, which is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Tokyo was hardest hit by the disaster.

Police and firefighters were having difficulty getting to some stricken areas.

Here are the photos of the disaster…

A man struggles against strong wind and rain caused by approaching Typhoon Wipha at a business district in Tokyo October 16, 2013. A once-in-a-decade typhoon threatened Japan on Tuesday, disrupting travel and shipping and forcing precautions to be taken at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant. (REUTERS/Toru Hanai)

An aerial view shows collapsed houses following a landslide caused by Typhoon Wipha on Izu Oshima island, south of Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo October 16, 2013. Four people were reported killed, schools closed, hundreds of flights cancelled and thousands were advised to evacuate as Typhoon Wipha pummelled Tokyo on Wednesday, although the Japanese capital escaped major damage. Mandatory Credit. (REUTERS/Kyodo)

An aerial view shows collapsed houses following a landslide caused by Typhoon Wipha on Izu Oshima island, south of Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo October 16, 2013. Four people were reported killed, schools closed, hundreds of flights cancelled and thousands were advised to evacuate as Typhoon Wipha pummelled Tokyo on Wednesday, although the Japanese capital escaped major damage. Mandatory Credit. (REUTERS/Kyodo)

Rescue workers recover the body of a victim from a site that was damaged by a landslide caused by Typhoon Wipha in Izu Oshima island, south of Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo October 16, 2013. Eight people were killed and over 30 missing, with nearly 20,000 people ordered to evacuate and hundreds of flights cancelled as Typhoon Wipha pummelled the Tokyo region on Wednesday, leaving piles of wreckage on one small island but largely sparing the capital. (REUTERS/Kyodo)

Rescue workers recover the body of a victim from a site that was damaged by a landslide caused by Typhoon Wipha in Izu Oshima island, south of Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo October 16, 2013. Eight people were killed and over 30 missing, with nearly 20,000 people ordered to evacuate and hundreds of flights cancelled as Typhoon Wipha pummelled the Tokyo region on Wednesday, leaving piles of wreckage on one small island but largely sparing the capital. (REUTERS/Kyodo)

Furniture and electrical appliances are scattered following a landslide caused by Typhoon Wipha in Ibaraki, North of Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo October 16, 2013. Eight people were killed and over 30 missing, with nearly 20,000 people ordered to evacuate and hundreds of flights cancelled as Typhoon Wipha pummelled the Tokyo region on Wednesday, leaving piles of wreckage on one small island but largely sparing the capital. (REUTERS/Kyodo)

Rocks are seen in a residential area following a landslide caused by Typhoon Wipha in Kamakura, south of Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo October 16, 2013. Eight people were killed and over 30 missing, with nearly 20,000 people ordered to evacuate and hundreds of flights cancelled as Typhoon Wipha pummelled the Tokyo region on Wednesday, leaving piles of wreckage on one small island but largely sparing the capital. (REUTERS/Kyodo)

Firefighters search for missing people among collapsed houses following a landslide caused by Typhoon Wipha on Izu Oshima island, south of Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo October 16, 2013. A typhoon killed 17 people in Japan on Wednesday, most on an offshore island, but largely spared the capital and caused no new disaster as it brushed by the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power station, the plant’s operator said. (REUTERS/Kyodo)

A golf course is submerged under water at Matsudo as Typhoon Wipha churn past Tokyo on October 16, 2013

Rescue workers look for survivors as they stand on the rubble of a house buried by mudslides after a powerful typhoon hit Oshima on Izu Oshima island, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Tokyo Wednesday morning, Oct. 16, 2013. Typhoon Wipha has lashed Japan, leaving at least seven people dead on a Pacific island south of Tokyo as it cut across the capital region and headed north. (AP Photo/Kyodo News)

Several houses in a residential area in Oshima are covered by debris of mudslides after a powerful typhoon hit Izu Oshima island, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Tokyo Wednesday morning, Oct. 16, 2013. Typhoon Wipha has lashed Japan, leaving at least seven people dead on a Pacific island south of Tokyo as it cut across the capital region and headed north. (AP Photo/Kyodo News

Fire fighters stand on rocks fallen from a cliff over a garage and a road in a residential area in Kamakura, southwest of Tokyo, after a powerful typhoon hit Japan’s metropolitan area Wednesday morning, Oct. 16, 2013. Typhoon Wipha triggered landslides and caused multiple deaths on a Japanese island off Tokyo, before sweeping up the country’s east coast, grounding hundreds of flights and paralyzing public transportation in Tokyo during Wednesday morning’s rush hour. (AP Photo/Kyodo News

Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato (3rd R) inspects contaminated water tanks at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant on October 15, 2013

Graphic showing the path of Typhoon Wipha, which left at least 13 people dead in Japan on Wednesday

Parts of a house and an electric pole are crushed by large rocks in Kamakura, as Typhoon Wipha passed close to Tokyo on October 16, 2013

People struggle against strong wind and rain as Typhoon Wipha churns past Tokyo on October 16, 2013

Martin’s Birthday

Last summer, Martin was building a big house in a very peaceful town named Boomland for a businessman named Keith. Keith planned to sell the house once it was built.

It was a breezy Saturday and they were almost finished. Martin was on a ladder, painting the porch while singing a nice sentimental song. He was holding a paint bucket in one arm, and trying very hard not to drop it.

A week after it was ready, Keith invited Martin to visit the house. It looked so grand for it is big and it was decorate with nice furniture. There was an old fashioned pond with a tortoise in the garden with beautiful, snow white flowers around it. So, Martin decided to buy the house as it was so beautiful and he planned to grow apple trees around the house.

The next day, when Martin’s staffs, Lloyd, Peter, and Doyle visited his new house, Martin told them about a new house that Keith wanted them to build beside his house. They would start building it on Wednesday and they only had three more days to plan.

Martin said goodbye to his staffs as they left his house. Suddenly he saw a kitten walking to his house. It was a cute little black and white kitten, with beautiful, glowing green eyes.

He looked at it, wondering what should he do. He walked softly to the cat and the cat looked afraid. Martin gently stroked the cat and it purred softly as it knew that Martin was not going to cause any harm.

The kitten’s mother came by. It brushed itself against the gate, looking at Martin. Martin looked softly at the big, black female cat as it walked towards its kitten. He was wondering whether the big cat was ferocious. The big cat came to Martin, purring till Martin could feel its throat vibrating softly. Suddenly it jumped up and ran away.

Martin looked around him, wondering what had scared the big cat. He even looked at the sky but all that he could see was grey puffy clouds which meant that it was going to rain.

Then his phone rang and he answered it, “Hello”.

“Hi Martin!” said the man at the other end. It was his staff, Peter.

“Keith is calling a meeting tomorrow to discuss about the house that we’re going to build. It will be at ten o’clock in the morning.”

“I’ll be there. Thanks for the information!” answered Martin.

He clicked the little red button on his phone and he went inside. The raindrops had started to fall and the little cat had walked away. Suddenly he felt so lonely.

“So, I can’t celebrate my birthday tomorrow,” said Martin to himself in a sad voice. “Oh well, may be I could celebrate it after the meeting.”

He woke up early the next day. He remembered very well that it was his birthday. He wore a plain white shirt and a black jacket which made him look grand. He put on his black neck tie and then he went downstairs.

He took his car keys and drove to his office. He arrived there in just about five minutes. He went inside. The office was dark and he wondered if  he was too early. He sat down for a moment, and then he walked to the meeting room to get things ready. He opened the door of the meeting room and saw that everything was ready for the meeting. The projector screen was set and the projector was on the table. The chairs were arranged and the curtains were opened.

He wondered aloud, “Where is everybody?”

As he walked into the meeting room, the lights were switched on and confetti started to fall.

“Happy birthday, Martin!” everyone shouted.

It was a surprise birthday party! Martin was very happy to celebrate his birthday with his friends. The projector was set to play a movie that Martin had always wanted to watch but was too busy to go to the cinema to watch it.

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