YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Wednesday’s typhoon meant a lot of merchandise moved at the Navy Exchange — but not in the usual sense.

The heavy rain from Typhoon Tokage soaked through about a third of the NEX ceiling, causing employees to cordon off large sections of the store Thursday and move racks of socks, underwear, toiletries and cosmetics to different areas.

NEX officials declined to estimate the amount of damage to the store and merchandise within, referring questions to NEX officials located in Virginia Beach, Va.

Although Tokage was lethal in southwestern Japan and killed at least 63 people nationwide, it caused far less damage on the Yokosuka base than Typhoon Ma-on Oct. 9. While the rest of the Kanto Plain was put on the highest readiness condition before Ma-on hit, Yokosuka remained only on “storm watch” because base weather forecasters said it looked like there would not be sustained damaging winds.

But Ma-on and its heavy winds blew the USS Vincennes out of its berth and into the USS Coronado, prompting a still-ongoing investigation by Pacific Fleet investigators. Ma-on additionally did a good deal of damage to the base, blowing a roof off one structure, creating some mudslides and toppling a number of big trees, one of which landed on a car. At that point, the base went into typhoon emergency mode, closing the gates. But some people noted that it was too late: The gates were closed after the winds had subsided, keeping people from returning home.

This time, Yokosuka joined the rest of the region in preparing for Tokage by declaring the highest typhoon readiness condition. But Tokage’s damage seemed limited to the Navy Exchange. Other than that, “We had some minor mudslides,” said Jon Nylander, a spokesman for Commander Naval Forces Japan.

Atsugi Naval Air Facility escaped troubles, said a base spokesman.

Near Yokota Air Base, Typhoon Tokage forced the temporary closure of Tama Lodge and Tama Hills Recreation Area after a mudslide during the storm toppled trees and six utility poles. The slide blocked one of the roads near the lodge, said 1st Lt. Warren Comer, a Yokota Air Base spokesman. The recreation area is under the control of Yokota.

Comer said Thursday the mudslide was rather large and occurred sometime Wednesday during the typhoon.

“It didn’t stop access to the lodge itself but it created the inability to access other areas at Tama Hills,” he said.

Members of Yokota’s 374th Civil Engineer Squadron are repairing the power lines and clearing the roads, Comer said. Officials don’t know when the recreation area will reopen. Comer said engineers still are assessing damage costs.

The 250-acre recreation area and golf course, about 12 miles from Yokota Air Base, is a popular retreat for Department of Defense-sponsored families on the Kanto Plain.

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