Search and rescue efforts are underway in japan, as the country recovers from a powerful typhoon.
A typhoon occurs under the same circumstances as a hurricane. Categorized with its cyclone shape, the name for the tropical weather event depends on what part of the world it occurs in. For example, here in the U.S., we call them hurricanes - like Hurricane Sandy. Countries in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, like Japan, call this storm a typhoon.
Typhoon Phanfone dumped heavy rain and strong winds on central Japan earlier this week, as officials urged thousands of people to seek shelter. Four people are missing, including two U.S. airmen, and seven people have been reported dead.
Japan is preparing for the possibility of a second storm, a potential super typhoon which would be categorized as a level four hurricane in the U.S. It's expected to make landfall early next week.