Japan: 90% of homes flooded by Typhoon Hagibis don't qualify for aid

Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Ninety percent of the tens of thousands of Japanese homes flooded by Typhoon Hagibis this month are not eligible for government recovery aid, officials say.

The storm damaged Japan's Kanto region and was responsible for the deaths of more than 80 people. It was one of the most powerful storms to hit Japan in years.

Nearly 70,000 homes received significant flood damage, but government officials said Wednesday most are ineligible for recovery assistance under current law.

Japan awards more than $27,000 for each flooded property, but only if water levels surpass 3 feet. Most homes waterlogged from Hagibis did not meet that threshold.

"There is a disconnect between people being forced to pay large sums and the criteria [to assess damage]," Kansai University social safety sciences professor Eiichi Yamasaki told Japan Times.

Yamasaki is pushing for expansion of aid.

The typhoon -- which produced 160 mph winds, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane -- caused $800 million in damage to Japan's agricultural and fishing industries, according to preliminary estimates. That amount is greater than the damage inflicted by Typhoon Faxai last month.

Water service is still out in some of the hardest hit areas, but officials said it should return by the end of next week. Drainage operations are also underway in Miyagi Prefecture.

Some victims are now bracing for another storm -- Typhoon Bualoi, which is heading toward Hagibis-battered Honshu Island. Forecasters say it could make landfall sometime Thursday.