Heavy rain set a record in Japan's Chiba Prefecture, resulting in eight deaths. Many areas remain submerged, while Narita Airport has about 7,000 stranded passengers and over 20,000 households are without power due to outages.
On 14 Aug 2026 GMT+7, NHK television reported that Chiba Prefecture in eastern Japan has been experiencing record-breaking heavy rain continuously through Friday morning. At least eight people have died, and the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that more heavy rain could occur, urging residents to remain vigilant.
Previously, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a level 5 emergency warning—the highest level—for heavy rain and landslides in parts of Chiba Prefecture. However, it recently downgraded the alert to level 4 or lower as the rain began to ease. Officials still caution residents to watch for landslides, flooding in low-lying areas, and rising river levels, not only in Chiba but also in the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo and surrounding areas.
Local police reported eight deaths caused by the heavy rain and flooding. Some victims were found on flooded roads, while others were trapped inside vehicles.
Toshihito Kumagai, Governor of Chiba Prefecture, held a disaster response command meeting on Friday morning. He expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and emphasized prioritizing saving lives, minimizing damage, and implementing measures for rapid recovery. Local authorities are still assessing the damage as the full extent is not yet clear. Various agencies are coordinating to collect information and inspect affected areas.
Reports indicate that the heavy rain has also severely affected Narita Airport, a major airport serving the Tokyo area. Airport operators revealed that about 7,000 passengers and residents were stranded overnight inside the airport after train and bus services were suspended.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reported that at 14:00 on Friday, power outages affected approximately 20,000 households across Chiba, Ibaraki, and Tochigi prefectures. Officials continue to monitor the situation closely because, although the highest-level warning has been downgraded, further heavy rain could still trigger landslides, flooding, and river overflows in vulnerable areas.
Source: NHK