In Japan, unusually heavy rainfall caused chaos at Tokyo’s Narita airport, leaving thousands of travelers stranded, disrupting transportation, and leading to floods in the surrounding area that resulted in power outages for 20,000 homes and claimed eight lives.
A significant amount of rain, exceeding 360 millimeters in some areas of Chiba prefecture near Tokyo, fell within a 24-hour period, causing extensive flooding on roads and railways during a peak holiday travel period in Japan.
Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai described the situation as highly extraordinary and unprecedented in his experience of handling disasters. Tragically, among the casualties were individuals, including one person found trapped in a submerged vehicle, according to reports from Chiba authorities and police.
At Narita airport, stranded passengers were provided with essential supplies like sleeping bags, water, and snacks as they coped with the aftermath of the transportation disruptions. One traveler, Minoru Yamasaki, shared his frustrating experience of long taxi queues and limited accommodation options, forcing him to return to the airport.
Despite the challenges, airport officials anticipated that most flights would resume normal operations on the following day.
The heavy rainfall also caused power outages affecting over 20,000 households due to flooding at a power substation. Gas supply to nearly 13,000 homes was also temporarily cut off. In Chiba city, severely impacted by the weather conditions, numerous individuals sought shelter in makeshift evacuation centers set up in government buildings.
The adverse weather conditions led to the closure of major highways in Chiba, diverting traffic onto alternative routes and causing congestion. Furthermore, several rail services were suspended, although some routes between Narita and Tokyo were gradually restored, alleviating congestion at the airport.
Weather authorities noted that the recorded 367 millimeters of rainfall in Chiba within 24 hours surpassed the previous record of 309 millimeters set in October 2013. The situation in the affected areas remains challenging as authorities and residents work to recover from the aftermath of the unprecedented rainfall.