Record Rain Batters Nagoya, 400 Asian Games Athletes Briefly Evacuated - Watch

Nagoya, the host city of the 2026 Asian Games, was hit by record rainfall on Tuesday, with widespread flooding disrupting transport and forcing around 400 athletes and staff who have already arrived for the continental event to briefly evacuate to higher ground.

The athletes and staff, who are staying in converted shipping containers being used as temporary accommodation for the Games, were unharmed, Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa said on Wednesday.

“We are not worried about the conditions of the venues and we believe there is no problem holding the Asian Games as planned,” Hirosawa told reporters, as per the Associated Press.

Athletes Briefly Evacuated Amid Heavy Rain

The 400 athletes and staff were temporarily moved to higher ground as heavy rain caused flooding across parts of Nagoya. Hirosawa said some roofs at Games venues had leaked, but there was no major damage to the facilities.

The flooding comes just 10 days before the Asian Games are scheduled to begin on September 19. The competition will be held in Nagoya and surrounding areas until October 4.

Several parts of the central Japanese city were severely affected by the rainfall, with roads and homes inundated and pedestrians and vehicles left stranded. Bus and subway services were also temporarily suspended.

Around 3,500 people sought shelter at emergency evacuation centres following the heavy rainfall.

Nagoya City said the Disaster Relief Act was applied across the city from September 8, allowing emergency assistance to be provided in areas affected by the flooding.

The Aichi Prefectural Government's first official damage assessment on Wednesday reported three minor injuries, one in Nagoya and two in Kitanagoya. One house was partially damaged, while 16 homes were flooded above floor level and 27 below it.

Around 200 vehicles in Nagoya were also reported to have been flooded and rendered immobile.

The highest-level flood warning for the Shonai River was lowered overnight, while evacuation instructions were subsequently withdrawn. Authorities have begun assessing the damage caused by the record rainfall.

The flooding has also brought renewed attention to the accommodation arrangements for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Organisers decided against building a conventional athletes' village to keep costs down, instead providing accommodation through a cruise ship, hotel rooms and converted shipping containers.

More than 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions are signed up for the Games, while the overall number of athletes and officials is expected to be around 17,000.

India will field a 503-member contingent at the Games.

The Indian Olympic Association held a send-off ceremony for the contingent on Tuesday, although several prominent athletes and teams, including members of the hockey squads and leading track-and-field athletes, were absent as they had already travelled to Japan or were in the final stages of their preparations.

India won a record 107 medals, including 28 gold, at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and will look to build on that performance in Nagoya.

Despite the flooding, Japanese officials have maintained that the disruption has not affected preparations significantly and that the Asian Games will go ahead as scheduled.