4 dead, thousands forced to evacuate as torrential rain batters eastern Japan; PM Takaichi pledges support
Tokyo, August 14
Four people have died, and another remains unresponsive after torrential rain severely battered eastern Japan from Thursday into early Friday, triggering widespread flooding and high-level emergency alerts across the region, Kyodo News reported.
According to reports by Kyodo News, the Japan Meteorological Agency briefly issued a Level 5 warning, the highest disaster alert level on its scale, covering more than one-third of the municipalities in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo. All emergency warnings were downgraded Friday morning.
Severe road flooding inundated communities across Chiba Prefecture, prompting municipal authorities in cities including Chiba and Ichikawa to urge residents to take immediate safety measures. The meteorological agency also placed several municipalities, including Chiba and neighbouring Ichihara, under Level 5 landslide warnings.
Data from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency showed that evacuation orders were issued for more than 400,000 residents across Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures at the peak of the deluge. As of 7 AM Friday, around 126,000 people remained under evacuation orders across both prefectures. The Cabinet Office reported that over 200 evacuation shelters were opened across Chiba, Ibaraki, Saitama, and Gunma prefectures, according to Kyodo News.
Around 1,800 stranded commuters gathered overnight at the Chiba prefectural government building, which was made available as a temporary shelter.
Power outages also cut electricity to approximately 45,000 homes across Chiba Prefecture at one point, according to a subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc, Kyodo News reported.
Casualties mounted as floodwaters submerged streets and vehicles. In Ichikawa, a man spotted in floodwaters on an inundated road was later confirmed dead. In Sakura, a 66-year-old woman died after becoming trapped inside her car, while prefectural officials separately confirmed that another man found collapsed in the city had died, Kyodo News reported.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone from Mumbai who deals with monsoon chaos every year, I feel for these people. The way Japan handles emergencies with evacuation centers and alerts is actually inspiring. Wish our cities had similar systems.
Level 5 warning covering one-third of Chiba Prefecture is no joke. The fact that 1,800 people sheltered at the government building shows how quickly things escalated. Mother Nature is unpredictable - climate change is making these events more frequent everywhere.
Terrible news. My thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones. It's concerning that even a developed country like Japan struggles with extreme weather events. Hope PM Takaichi's support reaches those affected quickly.
That 66-year-old woman trapped in her car is so tragic. These floods come so suddenly, there's barely any time to react. Japan's disaster management is among the best in the world, but nature can overwhelm any system. Stay safe, Japan! 💙
I really hope Japan recovers soon from this. Having been through cyclones in Odisha, I know how devastating such events can be. The rapid response with 200+ evacuation shelters is commendable. This should be a wake-up call for all nations to invest more in disaster preparedness.
S Sarah B 45, We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.