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TOKYO — Man-yi was downgraded to tropical-storm status Sunday morning, curving farther south of Tokyo than anticipated and causing little wind at U.S. bases in the Kanto Plain.

U.S. Forces Japan declared all-clear for Kanto Plain bases at 3 p.m. Sunday — Man-yi’s closest point of approach for the Kanto Plain. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued its final warning for Man-yi at 6 p.m.

Man-yi packed sustained 52-mph winds and gusts of up to 63 mph at its center as it churned 66 miles south of Yokosuka Naval Base, 82 miles south of Zama and Atsugi and 97 miles south of Yokota. JTWC last week forecast Man-yi to pass at least 50 miles closer to each locale.

Heavy downpours began Saturday and continued into Sunday morning before tapering off.

“It rained a lot. It was pretty bad, but there wasn’t much wind,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Bell, assigned to Yokota, still in the throes of the seasonal monsoons. “It’s like we’ve been getting, only more windy.”

As evening fell, Man-yi streaked away from Honshu Island to the east-northeast at 29 mph and was forecast to die out in the north Pacific sometime Monday or Tuesday.

There were no immediate reports of damage, injuries or deaths on U.S. bases, and figures for the maximum winds experienced and amount of rainfall were not available Sunday.

Japan’s Kyodo News Service reported three people killed, one missing and 70 injured due to the storm. Eight inches of rain fell along the Pacific coast of northeast Honshu Island. Airlines canceled 274 flights, and service was interrupted for several hours on the Tokaido and Akita bullet train lines.

The Tomei Expressway, the preferred route connecting Camp Zama and Atsugi with Tokyo, was closed between Shimizu and Fuji for more than eight hours. Express trains bound for Izu and Fukushima were canceled.

Stars and Stripes’ Bryce Dubee, Chris Fowler and Stacy Chandler contributed to this report.

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Dave Ornauer has been employed by or assigned to Stars and Stripes Pacific almost continuously since March 5, 1981. He covers interservice and high school sports at DODEA-Pacific schools and manages the Pacific Storm Tracker.

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