270 Cars Submerged in Underground Parking Lot after Record Rainfall in Yokkaichi, Mie Pref., Vehicle Removal Underway

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:50 JST, September 17, 2025

Record rainfall in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, on Friday night caused flooding damage to approximately 270 vehicles in an underground parking lot near Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry’s regional development bureau announced Tuesday. No injuries have been confirmed.

The city recorded 123.5 millimeters of rainfall in an hour on Friday night, breaking the previous record for the area. Large amounts of rainwater flooded the Kusunoki Parking underground parking facility, which has a total capacity of about 500 vehicles on its first and second basement levels.

According to the announcement, 114 vehicles were submerged on the second basement level, while 160 vehicles were flooded up to about one meter on the first basement level.

Water barriers were not installed, and drainage pumps failed to operate due to a power outage. The water was mostly drained from the second basement level by Tuesday, and vehicle removal operations are underway.