Extreme rain is testing Japan’s flood defences
More intense rain is overwhelming flood defenses and reaching places outside predicted risk zones, leaving residents to confront unexpected dangers.
Matsudo, a town in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, is grappling with the challenges posed by extreme rainfall and the limitations of its flood defenses. Residents' semi-basement apartments are increasingly at risk as water intrudes through the tiled garden terrace, as reported by Shuji Nishizawa, a 60-year-old web designer.
On August 13, Nishizawa and his wife experienced this firsthand. When he was in the common area of Sanctus Shinmatsudo, a 10-story apartment complex, his wife informed him that rainwater had started flowing down the steps from the ground floor and accumulating on their terrace. The floodwater rapidly rose, reaching 1.8 meters above the floor of their apartment. The water entered through the tiled garden terrace, which had been the main selling point when they purchased the property in 2003.
The torrential downpour tested the town's flood defenses, highlighting the ongoing struggle to protect residents from the devastating effects of extreme rainfall. As Nishizawa points to the muddy lines marking the water's intrusion, the story serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of Japan's infrastructure in the face of increasingly powerful storms.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
