A deluge of rain hit Japan, stranding numerous travelers at Narita airport in Tokyo on Friday. The excessive rainfall caused floods in the vicinity, disrupting transportation, cutting off power to 20,000 residences, and claiming eight lives.
Chiba prefecture, which borders Tokyo, experienced over 360 millimeters of rainfall within a day, leading to road and railway inundation during a peak holiday period in Japan. Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai described the situation as remarkably unusual, unlike anything he had encountered before in terms of disasters.
Among the fatalities was an individual trapped in a submerged vehicle, as reported by Chiba authorities and police. At Narita airport, where approximately 7,000 people were left stranded due to transportation issues, airport staff provided essentials like sleeping bags, water, and snacks to hundreds of affected passengers. Flights were anticipated to resume normal operations on Friday.
The heavy rain also caused power outages affecting over 20,000 households, with a power substation flooding, according to Tokyo Electric Power. Gas supply to nearly 13,000 homes was temporarily disrupted. In Chiba city, severely impacted by the downpour, hundreds sought shelter at temporary evacuation centers within government premises.
Road closures were prevalent in Chiba, prompting drivers to seek alternate routes, leading to congested traffic conditions. Some rail services were suspended, but operations between Narita and Tokyo gradually resumed, alleviating congestion at the airport.
Weather authorities disclosed that the 367 millimeters of rainfall in Chiba over 24 hours surpassed the previous record of 309 millimeters set in October 2013.