Niijima, Japan— Rockslides triggered evacuations on Niijima Island after record 480 millimeters of rainfall pounded the island on October 31, 2026, injuring two people and burying roads.
The rain started Thursday night and intensified before dawn. The Japan Meteorological Agency said Niijima logged 480 millimeters in 24 hours, the highest ever recorded for October on the island. Wind gusts hit 90 kilometers per hour. The island’s steep volcanic slopes could not hold.
Village office said rockslides hit three hamlets on the western side around 8 a.m. Boulders the size of cars rolled onto a prefectural road. One smashed into a two-story home, injuring a woman in her 70s and her grandson. Both were taken to the island clinic. Their injuries were not life-threatening.
Evacuation orders were issued for 86 households near the slopes. That is about 180 people. They were moved to the island’s community center and a school gym. The village head said many elderly residents needed help walking. Volunteers carried them. Roads were slick with mud.
Ferries were canceled. The high-speed jetfoil from Takeshiba was halted. The island’s airport saw flights delayed. Supply ships could not dock because waves were too high. A shop owner said bread would run out by tomorrow if boats did not come.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which administers Niijima, sent a disaster assessment team by helicopter once clouds lifted. They found multiple slope failures above houses. Cracks were visible in concrete retaining walls. One wall had tilted 20 centimeters.
Power stayed on but water was cut in two districts because pipes were buried under debris. Workers in hard hats cleared rocks with a small excavator. They stopped every 15 minutes to listen for more movement. A local firefighter said the ground was still talking.
JMA said the heavy rain was caused by a stationary front plus moist air from Typhoon Champi passing south of Izu Islands. It warned of more rain tonight. It kept a landslide warning in effect for all Izu Islands.
Islanders are used to typhoons but not this much rain in one day. Niijima is volcanic, with loose rock. Heavy rain turns gullies into chutes. A resident said he has lived there 60 years and never saw water like this.
By evening, no new slides were reported, but the evacuation order stayed. Officials said they would not let people return until engineers cleared the slopes.
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