Over 520 businesses affected by heavy rain in Chiba

Officials in Chiba Prefecture, neighboring Tokyo, report that more than 520 businesses have been affected by the record rain that struck last month. They say losses total over 2.6 billion yen, or roughly 17 million dollars.

During the downpours in mid-August, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued Level 5 Emergency Warnings, the highest emergency alerts on the agency’s scale, for heavy rain and landslides in multiple municipalities in the prefecture. In Chiba City, about three times the average rainfall for the whole of August fell in just half a day. Thirteen people have died and more than 7,000 houses were damaged.

According to a prefectural survey, 529 companies had reported damage to their shops, offices, or equipment as of September 2.

The Chiba Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other organizations have set up temporary consultation desks to help small and medium-sized firms with cash flow and other concerns. Insurance companies have added more adjusters to ensure claims are paid in a timely manner.

However, some companies are unable to resume operations even one month after the heavy rain, and others have decided to close down their businesses, leaving authorities with the challenge of how to assist them.