Record rainfall floods Chiba, leaving travellers stranded at Narita airport

Tokyo, Japan. Record rainfall in Chiba prefecture flooded roads and railways, disrupted transport and power supplies, and left thousands of travellers stranded at Narita airport on Friday. At least four people were confirmed dead and one remained missing.

Flooding and casualties

More than 360 millimetres of rain fell within 24 hours in parts of Chiba prefecture, which borders Tokyo, during one of Japan’s busiest holiday weeks.

Authorities said one of the confirmed deaths involved a person trapped in a submerged vehicle. Soldiers were deployed to assist relief operations.

“This case was an extremely unusual situation,” Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai told reporters on Friday morning. “I have responded to many disasters in the past, but I have never experienced a case like this.”

Power outages and evacuations

More than 22,000 households were without power at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, according to Tokyo Electric Power.

In Chiba city, one of the worst-hit areas, hundreds of people spent the night under foil blankets at government buildings being used as temporary evacuation centres.

Airport and transport disruption

Around 7,000 people were stranded at Narita airport, an airport spokesperson said. All flights were scheduled to operate normally on Friday, although Japan Airlines said some services could be delayed and that no cancellations were expected.

Hundreds of passengers queued overnight for blankets, water and snacks before sleeping in the terminal, according to footage broadcast by NHK.

“We are never going to forget this trip,” an American traveller stranded at the airport with his family told NHK.

Several major highways in Chiba were closed, forcing drivers onto alternative routes and causing heavy traffic, highway operator NEXCO East said. Several rail services also remained suspended on Friday morning, although some trains linking Narita and Tokyo resumed operations.