I Drove Through a Record-Breaking Rainstorm in Nagoya

On September 8, 2026, I found myself driving through an extreme rainstorm in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan.

Within a short time, roads began to disappear beneath brown floodwater. Even with my windshield wipers at full speed, I could barely see ahead. Emergency alerts repeatedly sounded from both of my smartphones, roads were closed, and some areas became impossible to recognize.

I abandoned my usual route, avoided underpasses and low-lying roads, and tried to find a way out.

At that moment, I wasn't thinking about reaching my hotel quickly.

I had only one thought:

“I just want to get out of here safely.”

This is a first-person account of what I saw, what decisions I made, and what I discovered after finally reaching my hotel.

It is not a guide to driving through flooded roads. The safest choice is to avoid entering floodwater in the first place.

A true story from Japan about extreme weather, split-second decisions, and one unforgettable journey through a city transformed by rain.