Heavy Rain in Japan Claims Four Lives, Thousands Stranded at Narita Airport

Torrential rains struck Chiba Prefecture east of Tokyo on Thursday night, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders for more than 400,000 residents amid persistent flooding risks. The deluge, which delivered roughly 115 mm of rain in a single hour—an amount normally accumulated over an entire month—triggered landslide warnings and knocked out power to about 45,000 homes. The same storm that battered Chiba also left at least four people dead in eastern Japan and left nearly 7,000 travelers stranded at Narita Airport, with many seeking refuge in government buildings.

The scale of the emergency has prompted widespread mobilization of emergency services. In addition to the evacuation directives, local governments have activated disaster response teams and established temporary shelters across the affected districts. Power restoration crews are working around the clock to restore electricity to the thousands of homes that lost service, while search and rescue units continue to search for missing persons in the hardest-hit areas.

Despite a recent easing of rainfall, officials warn that the risk of flooding remains high as the region’s rivers and drainage systems continue to absorb the excess water. The Japanese Meteorological Agency has maintained a high alert for the next 48 hours, urging residents to remain vigilant and follow official guidance until the weather stabilizes.