Record-breaking rainfall in Japan led to the stranding of numerous travelers at Tokyo’s Narita airport on Friday, resulting in floods in the surrounding area that disrupted transportation, left 20,000 homes without power, and claimed eight lives.
Parts of Chiba prefecture, bordering Tokyo, experienced over 360 millimeters of rainfall within a 24-hour period, causing road and rail inundation during a peak holiday season in Japan.
Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai described the situation as exceptionally rare, stating, “I have dealt with numerous disasters before, but nothing quite like this.”
Among the casualties were individuals caught in flooded vehicles, as reported by Chiba authorities and the police, as the severe weather wreaked havoc in the region.
At Narita airport, stranded passengers were provided with essentials like sleeping bags, water, and snacks, with many forced to spend the night at the airport due to transport disruptions affecting approximately 7,000 individuals.
One traveler, Minoru Yamasaki, shared his ordeal of enduring a four-hour wait for a taxi and being turned away by a fully booked hotel, ultimately resorting to returning to the airport for shelter.
Despite the chaos, airport officials anticipated most flights to operate as scheduled on Friday.
The torrential rains caused widespread power outages, affecting over 20,000 homes due to a flooded power substation, while gas supply to nearly 13,000 residences was temporarily halted.
In heavily impacted areas like Chiba city, hundreds sought refuge in makeshift evacuation centers set up in government facilities, with major highways closed, diverting traffic to alternative routes and causing congestion.
Rail services were disrupted, although some routes between Narita and Tokyo resumed, alleviating congestion at the airport.
Weather experts noted that the 367 millimeters of rainfall in Chiba over 24 hours surpassed the previous record of 309 millimeters set in October 2013.