By Elaine Lies

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Prime Minister visited communities on Thursday that were hit by a powerful Typhoon, while the government said it was postponing a parade for Emperor Naruhito’s official enthronement next week because of the disaster.

Typhoon Hagibis killed at least 77 people last week as it lashed wide swaths of Japan with heavy rain and powerful winds, sending landslides and widespread flooding as rivers burst their banks. Nine people are missing, 346 were injured.

“We will do everything we can to restore your life,” Abe told two elderly women at the evacuation center, kneeling to talk to them as they sat on blankets on the floor.

Abe visited the prefectures of Fukushima and Miyagi, which were severely damaged during the storm. Both were also badly affected by the tsunami caused by the March 11, 2011 earthquake that triggered the crisis at The Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Fukushima has seen the highest number of casualties from the Typhoon, with at least 28 dead as of Thursday.

Abe said the government would spend 710 million yen ($6.53 million) on disaster relief assistance.

Finance Minister Taro ASO said the government had 500 billion yen in reserves for disaster relief and would consider an extra-budgetary budget if necessary.

With winter approaching and parts of Fukushima where temperatures are below average, concerns are growing about the health of people in evacuation centers, some of whom have lost everything in the floods.

The Ministry of land and transport said Thursday that dams had broken in more than 100 places, and authorities warned that with heavy rains forecast for the weekend, more flooding could occur.

The government will postpone the parade to honor the Emperor’s enthronement on October 22, Yoshihide Suga, chief Cabinet Secretary, said at a news conference, adding that new dates were still being considered.

Other events related to the enthronement will be held on time, he added.

“We are exploring new dates after considering a number of issues,” Suga said. He declined to be more specific, but national broadcaster NHK said the parade would be moved to November 10.

Emperor Naruhito is set to announce his enthronement at a centuries-old ceremony attended by about 2,500 people, including heads of state and other dignitaries from nearly 200 countries.

The 59th Emperor ascended the throne in may after his father, Akihito, became the first monarch to abdicate in two centuries.

(Reporting By Elaine Lies; Editing By Raju Gopalakrishnan, Robert Birsel)

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