Despite being well forecast and tracked throughout its duration , Typhoon Vera 's effects were highly disastrous and long-lasting . In addition to the storm 's intensity , the severe damage and large death tolls were partially attributed to a lack of urgency from Japanese media in advance of Vera 's landfall . Though estimates for damage costs indicated totals in excess of US$ 261 million ( equivalent to US$ billion in ) , other damage estimates suggested that damage costs were as high as US$ 600 million ( equivalent to US$ billion in ) . Death tolls also remain unclear , but reports generally indicated that around 5,000 people were killed , with hundreds of other persons missing . In addition to the dead nearly 40,000 people were injured , and an additional 1.6 million people were rendered homeless . Countrywide approximately 834,000 homes were destroyed and roughly 210,000 ha ( 520,000 ac ) of agricultural fields were damaged . The damage wrought by Vera made it the deadliest typhoon in Japanese history , succeeding the 1934 Muroto typhoon . Vera was also the third deadliest natural disaster in Japan during the 20th century , only behind the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995 and the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923
Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
Typhoon Vera