An NHK special report on Tokyo at risk from rain related floods

The reason for the special report is the governmental report released a few months ago, called 'Tokyo Metropolitan Area Submerged'.

In the video, computer graphics show the effects of the cases examined by the report; for instance, 300 mm per day will cause an estimated 6300 deaths. A big problem is that the current water systems are built to handle 50 mm of rain per hour, whereas the storm seasons in the past years have all seen more than 100 mm of rain per hour. The current focus is on better downpour prediction systems, so that citizens might be informed about evacuation possibilities.

Heavy rain in Japan

NHK reports heavy rain in the Kanto and Touhuko regions of Honshu, Japan (North and North-East, see image below). One particular area received 5.8 cm of rain in 1.40 hours. Aside from floods and landslides,the Japan Meteorological Agency also warns for tornadoes, lightning and wind gusts.

Losser - a final movie

The regional broadcasting channel RTV Oost made an overview of the floods from a helicopter. This is what 5.5 cm of rain in 12 hours looks like:



More information can of course be found on the website of the regional water board (in Dutch).

Losser - a follow up

Yesterday I thought I might visit the Dinkel again and see how much the water had lowered, expecting it to be gone.

It was a calm, sunny evening. As I rode through the fields on my bike, an acorn fell from a tree and made a loud splash. I noticed the Dinkel area has attracted over 600 new birds - all gulls. The water is still there, and it stinks. An early warning of contaminants in the water, which will pollute the soil. Although the water results in beautiful reflective pools and provides opportunities for new species, the downsides are already evident.

It could be far worse. We are lucky to live in a country where there is usually only minor property damage, which can be reimbursed by insurance. Moreover the Netherlands has decades of experience in treating contaminated soil.
During these floods nobody died. But does go to show that even a small river with an average 4m width can uproot daily existence, and it might be a good time to start thinking about flood preparedness...