Today, the 13th, heavy rain and thunderstorms swept across western Japan due to the influence of the autumn rain front. The autumn rain front is expected to remain stationary over the archipelago, potentially causing torrential downpours in various locations. A tropical depression is forecast to form in the sea south of Japan, and its future path requires careful monitoring.

■ "Unusual" Prolonged Rain: Front to Re-Activate

On the 8th, record-breaking heavy rains hit Nagoya City, leading to a "Level 5 Flood Special Warning" for the Shonai River. The program obtained exclusive footage from security cameras and dashcams at nine locations in the surrounding area. This footage reveals what happened and the situation at the time.

■ Rain Gardens and Rainwater Tanks Installed in Various Locations in Tokyo

With a series of "urban floods" occurring nationwide, "local countermeasures" are now being implemented.

(Suzuki Wataru, Chief, Sewerage Division, Environmental Department, Musashino City) "This is called a 'rain garden,' a garden designed to temporarily store rainwater that falls from the sky and then slowly seep into the ground."
The solution is a "rain garden." Gravel or other materials that easily absorb water are laid in a hole to store rainwater and allow it to permeate into the ground. The aim is to reduce the amount of water flowing into sewers and rivers, thereby preventing "inland flooding." This year, Musashino City installed two new "rain gardens" in a park in Kichijoji.

(Suzuki Wataru, Chief, Sewerage Division, Environmental Department, Musashino City) "Because it's an urban area, the land available for building facilities to store water is limited. In such circumstances, this allows for small-scale measures against rainwater inundation."
"Rain gardens" are also being installed in various locations throughout Tokyo, including Shimokitazawa in Setagaya Ward. Furthermore, there are other measures being taken.

"This is called a 'rainwater tank'."
By temporarily storing rainwater from the roof in a tank, flood damage can be mitigated, and in Tokyo, 26 municipalities provide subsidies for installation costs.
"It can be installed in even small spaces, so if it becomes widespread, including in ordinary households, it will have a significant effect."

At this house…
(Resident) "This is a 'rainwater tank' installed in my garden."
A tank with a capacity of approximately 140 liters is installed.
"Both are full, and this is the water from when the house was flooded."
During the rain five days ago, the area in front of the house was flooded. The empty tank quickly filled up, they say.
"The amount of rain in recent heavy rains has been excessive, as seen in the example of Chiba City. It may be a small thing, but I think what we can do now is important."

■One Month After Heavy Rains: Water Outages Continue, People Fetch Water in Parks

It has been one month since the heavy rains in Chiba that killed 13 people.

People can be seen fetching water in parks in Chiba City… because their apartment buildings are still without water.

(Resident of an apartment building without water) "We absolutely have to use the toilet. So all this water is for flushing the toilet."
Q. How is it without water?
"It's tough. Even when it's really hot, I can't wash myself."
Until the power was restored, I carried it up to the 9th floor via the stairs.
20 two-liter plastic bottles. I carried 40 liters of water.
(Resident of an apartment building without water) "Until recently, we could use the nearby bathing facilities for free, but that's stopped too, so now we're using the water we've fetched to take cold showers."

The area around JR Soga Station was flooded.

(Announcer Kazuki Kusanagi) "This yakiniku restaurant has a sign saying it's closed. As you can see, around here, there are chairs and other items, presumably from the restaurant, lined up outside. And even now, a month later, the staff are still busy cleaning up inside, and the scars of the flood damage remain."
(Yakiniku Izakaya Rishin Staff) "The water came up to my waist. I thought it might be dangerous to keep the shutter closed, so I opened it, and then the water rushed in."
The water entered the restaurant a little after 6 PM. They say the restaurant was submerged up to their waists in no time.
(Yakiniku Izakaya Rishin Staff) "It's fine when we're cleaning up, but at night, I get a little anxious and can't sleep."
"I'm a little worried about whether we'll be able to reopen."

■Flooding due to Level 3 Heavy Rain Warning: Why did it worsen so rapidly?

What was happening in Chiba City at the time?

(Announcer Kazuki Kusanagi) "This security camera installed near JR Soga Station captured the flooding."
A Level 3 heavy rain warning, the guideline for evacuating the elderly and others, was issued in Chiba City at 5:44 PM. It appears that flooding had already begun around 6:00 PM, while the warning was still at Level 3. By 6:15 PM, when a Level 4 danger warning for heavy ...