Hong Kong travelers face grueling ordeal and huge Uber bills in Japan storm

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Hong Kong tourists heading to Narita Airport were caught in extreme transportation chaos after Chiba Prefecture was battered by record-breaking torrential rain. 

With all trains, airport buses, and taxis suspended due to severe flooding on tracks and highways, some Hong Kong travelers made a desperate bid to catch their flights by booking an Uber. 

One holidaymaker trying to make a 9.30pm flight found themselves trapped on flooded roads for four grueling hours. Facing a stressful dilemma between paying a premium to return to Tokyo or seeking local hotel rooms that were already fully booked, they were left stranded on the road in the middle of the storm.

Fears of astronomical ride-hail bill

Although the persistent driver eventually navigated backroads to deliver them to Narita Airport shortly after 11pm, the travelers had already missed their flight. 

The grueling journey sparked intense speculation online, with web users wondering if the final fare would equal the price of a brand-new plane ticket. 

While normal rides from Tokyo to the airport are already pricey, commentators estimated that a four-hour gridlock under surge pricing could easily push the bill to an astronomical amount. 

The traveler revealed that although the official receipt had not yet arrived, the total was expected to be massive, though sharing the cost among their travel companions would help soften the blow.

Wider devastation and slow recovery

The localized drama was part of a wider disaster across Chiba, where 347 millimeters of rain—nearly three times the average for the entire month of August—triggered a maximum level 5 emergency warning. 

The storm claimed four lives, forced the temporary evacuation of over 400,000 residents, and cut power to tens of thousands of homes. 

At the airport, nearly 7,000 stranded passengers had to sleep overnight in the terminals, receiving sleeping bags, food, and water from airport staff. 

While some regional train lines have slowly begun resuming service this morning, express airport connections remain highly uncertain.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓