Heavy Rain in Chiba Leaves Over 1,200 Cars Abandoned
Listen to the story
Heavy rain caused serious flooding in Chiba, an area near Tokyo, Japan.
Many drivers were forced to leave their cars when roads became covered in water. More than 1,200 cars were abandoned across the region.
About 1,000 of these vehicles were left in Chiba City alone, local officials said.
Starting today, workers have begun to move the abandoned cars from the roads. The goal is to clear the streets and allow traffic to return to normal.
The heavy rain also caused flooding in buildings, damaging homes across the area.
Eight people are confirmed to have died because of the disaster, according to reports.
Experts have warned about how dangerous cars can be during heavy rain. Water can rise very quickly, and vehicles may become trapped, trapping people inside as well.
This situation is sometimes called being 'trapped inside a car', and it can happen fast when roads flood suddenly.
Safety experts recommend that drivers avoid flooded roads completely. If water starts rising around a car, people should leave the vehicle quickly and move to higher, safer ground.
Local authorities are continuing to check the damage and support people affected by the floods.
Vocabulary10 words
- flooding
- when water covers areas that are normally dry
- Chiba
- an area in Japan, near Tokyo
- abandoned
- left behind and not used
- Chiba City
- the largest city in the Chiba area
- vehicles
- cars, trucks, and other things used for travel
- disaster
- a very bad event that causes harm
- trapped
- unable to escape or get out
- authorities
- people or groups in charge, like the government
- damage
- harm or injury caused to something
- confirmed
- shown to be true or certain
Quiz
Answer key
1. Heavy rain 2. Moving abandoned cars 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Heavy rain caused serious _____ in Chiba, an area near Tokyo, Japan.
Many drivers were forced to leave their cars when roads became covered in water. More than _____ cars were abandoned across the region.
About 1,000 of these _____ were left in Chiba City alone, local officials said.
Starting today, workers have begun to _____ the abandoned cars from the roads.
The heavy rain also caused flooding in buildings, causing _____ to homes across the area.
_____ people are confirmed to have died because of the disaster, according to reports.
Experts have warned about how dangerous cars can be during heavy rain, as people may become _____ inside.
Safety experts recommend that drivers avoid _____ roads completely.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think so many cars were abandoned during the flooding in Chiba?
- What should a driver do if their car starts to fill with water?
- Why is heavy rain especially dangerous for people driving cars?
- What could local governments do to prevent this kind of damage in the future?