Disasters & Incidents
Japan rain death toll rises to nine, NHK says
Heavy rain in eastern Japan has killed nine people, public broadcaster NHK reported Sunday, after an unprecedented deluge flooded more than 1,000 homes and disrupted roads and rail services in Chiba prefecture.
Chiba's disaster management office listed eight deaths as of Saturday evening. NHK said its Sunday morning tally was nine. Some victims were trapped in submerged cars and others were found on flooded streets, according to the prefectural office.
The downpours began late Thursday and triggered landslide warnings and power outages. Forecasters issued the highest-level heavy rain warning for the Chiba region for the first time.
A weather station in the prefecture recorded 30 centimetres of rain in 24 hours, making it the area's wettest August in six decades. By Friday morning, the city of Chiba had logged more than three times the rainfall usually seen in the whole of August, Tokyo's land ministry said.
The prefecture said more than 70 houses were partially destroyed and more than 1,000 households reported flooding, including nearly 600 where water rose above floorboards.
Local media said about 1,200 cars remained abandoned on roads as authorities worked to tow them away or move them with jacks.
A Japan Meteorological Agency official said Thursday that the rain was “shaping up to be an unprecedented level of heavy rain.” Scientists say human-driven climate change is making extreme weather more frequent, prolonged and intense.
Update
NHK reported that nine people had died in the eastern Japan rains.
Chiba's disaster management office listed eight deaths as of Saturday evening.
Chiba prefecture said more than 70 houses were partially destroyed and more than 1,000 households reported flooding, including nearly 600 with water above floorboards.
Local media said an estimated 1,200 cars remained abandoned on roads.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 August 2026 at 03:45:41 UTC.
Update
Chiba weather station data shows this month is already the wettest August recorded there in 60 years.
More than 30 centimetres of rain fell in 24 hours, according to Japan Meteorological Agency website data.
Source note: AFP news report published on 14 August 2026 at 10:01:55 UTC.
Update
Chiba officials said five people were confirmed dead, up from at least four in the existing story.
More than 80 houses flooded in cities including Ichikawa, Kashiwa and Sakura.
Close to 90 homes had water seep in below the floorboards.
Source note: AFP news report published on 14 August 2026 at 08:52:55 UTC.
Update
At least four people died in eastern Japan, according to Chiba authorities.
NHK reported that as many as eight people may have died.
Around 6,000 people were stranded overnight at Narita airport.
Close to 26,000 households in Chiba prefecture were without power.
The highest-level heavy rain warnings had been downgraded to level 4 by Friday morning.
Source note: AFP news report published on 14 August 2026 at 08:00:31 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
NHK's nine-death tally differs from Chiba's official figure of eight deaths as of Saturday evening.
Source
AFP news report published on .