Record-breaking rainfall in Japan caused chaos at Tokyo’s Narita airport, leaving thousands of travelers stranded as floods swept through the area, disrupting transportation and cutting power to 20,000 households, resulting in eight fatalities.
Parts of Chiba prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo, received over 360 millimeters of rain within a day, leading to submerged roads and railways during a peak holiday period. Chiba Gov. Toshihito Kumagai described the situation as exceptionally rare, noting it was unlike any disaster he had encountered before.
Among the casualties was a person found in a submerged vehicle, as reported by Chiba authorities and police. At Narita airport, passengers faced long wait times for taxis and accommodation, with many resorting to sleeping at the airport due to the travel disruptions.
Power outages affected over 20,000 homes after a power substation was flooded, with gas supply interruptions impacting nearly 13,000 residents. In Chiba city, hundreds sought refuge in government buildings, while road closures and traffic congestion plagued the region.
Rail services were temporarily suspended, but some routes between Narita and Tokyo resumed to alleviate congestion. The deluge in Chiba surpassed previous records, with 367 millimeters of rainfall in 24 hours exceeding the previous benchmark set in 2013.
