Typhoon Hagibis is the worst storm to hit Japan in decades. The storm has made it’s mark across Tokyo, Nagano and Chiba and has left 31 dead and 15 missing. It has caused 3 Rugby World Cup games to be cancelled, homes have been destroyed beyond repair and over 110,000 people have had to step in to take part in search and rescue.
Yet, for some reason, large media corporations are focusing on the most trivial aspects of the storm including the colour it has turned the sky, the relocation of cats and urban legends. A Creepypasta has been circulating, suggesting that the sky turning purple is a warning of death.
The sky in Japan turned purple hours before the wrath of Super Typhoon Hagibis. A beautiful scene, indeed. But beneath it lies a big catastrophe.
Pray for Japan, everyone.#SaveJapan #PrayForJapan pic.twitter.com/cm8oXOld9F
— sof ♡ (@Stardustjaem) October 12, 2019
Creepypasta’s are myths that have been copied and pasted around the internet and are by no means based on any factual evidence. The site is most famous for producing the “urban legend” of The Slenderman.A short horror story titled ‘Violet Skies,’ was posted to the Creepypasta website several years ago, in which a violet sky occurs to warn of danger.
From this FICTIONAL piece, people have been Tweeting and reporting the connection between the colour of the sky and the deaths that proceeded. This is not a time for sharing urban myths connecting to Creepypastas. This is a time for respect and reflection.
The people of Japan can now rest easy as the storm has moved away from land, however that doesn’t mean things are safe and sound across the country. Japan is still recovering from Typhoon Faxai which occurred last month and destroyed over 30,000 homes, which have not yet been restored. Now with additional large scale destruction, the people of Japan are left helpless.
Powerful Typhoon in Japan called Typhoon Hagibis. Four People already dead and dozen missing! Hitting Tokyo! PLEASE PRAY FOR JAPAN! #PrayForJapan #FlynnFighters #PatriotsAwakened pic.twitter.com/DUJZaY1d3k
— Ken Jones⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@sxdoc) October 13, 2019
Over seven million people were urged to evacuate during the peak of the storm but it is thought that only 50,000 stayed in shelter, as the Japanese are prone and conditioned to worry about flooding, earthquakes and storms, so could not predict the severity of Hagibis.
We need to talk about and pay our respects to the victims in this tragic natural disaster and not Creepypastas or the sky. According to the telegraph, a 50-year-old man was killed as his car was overturned by winds in Chiba. Another was found dead in his apartment in Kawasaki. A cargo ship from Panama to Tokyo Bay sunk with 12 people inside. A 70-year-old woman tragically dropped to her death as she was airlifted out of Fukushima. Over 100 people were reportedly injured yesterday as a result of floodwaters. THIS is what deserves our undivided attention and respect.
A quick click on Twitter’s trending feed will show you what people in the Twittersphere are sharing about the horrific event. While everyone is paying their respects, once again, Tweets are predominately focussed on pictures of the sky.
This Is What We Are Seeing:
Japan Purple Sky
Some speculated it was an omen, promising the destruction to come.
But a purple sky is actually a phenomenon which often precedes or follows a major typhoon or hurricane.
Purple skies are the result of a weather phenomenon called ‘scattering#PrayForJapan pic.twitter.com/DsrHXCrJZP— huda khan (@huda_khan84) October 13, 2019
Japan’s worst typhoon in 60 years. ????#PrayForJapan pic.twitter.com/ew6771FEeE
— Shivam Rajput (@Shivam_1412) October 13, 2019
The sky turned vivid shades of purple in parts of Japan as Typhoon Hagibis approached pic.twitter.com/TpEm14XX7e
— Universe (@VistaUniverse) October 13, 2019
While it is an incredible natural phenomenon that the typhoon has caused the sky to turn this eery shade of purple. That isn’t what is important. I completely understand that people are sharing photos of the sky with their best interests at heart. People have great intentions are sharing these photos and including the hashtag ‘#PrayForJapan.’
However, we shouldn’t be romanticising such a tragic event. Typhoon Hagibis isn’t something from a fairytale created by an evil villain. It’s not a Creepypasta. People are left without families, homes, power, electricity and water. It’s happening in real life and the people of Japan are suffering.
These Are The Images We Should Be Sharing:
#UPDATE Japan’s military scrambles to rescue people trapped by flooding after powerful Typhoon Hagibis rips across the country, killing at least 11 people and leaving more than a dozen missing https://t.co/JsJ5mFuRzp pic.twitter.com/8WfEY1zD68
— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 13, 2019
Please continue to share photos and videos of people helping, the destruction that has occurred and of the victims. We need to raise awareness, beyond the sky.
Our thoughts are with the people of Japan who are suffering during this devastating time.
Click here to donate to the Typhoon Hagibis damage support.
Image Sources: Twitter (@KTVU), YouTube (@CGTN)