A church in Chiba Prefecture has suffered “particularly severe” damage following recent flooding that hit areas of eastern Japan, marking the second such incident to hit the congregation in 16 years.
Members of Masago Baptist Church, located in Mihama Ward, within the city of Chiba, meet together for worship in a sanctuary on a semi-basement level but were devastated to find that floodwater had torn through the building, rising to around 60cm above the floor, and leaving almost all of the room’s furnishings damaged beyond repair.
Chairs, tables and the pulpit had to be removed, while sound equipment and the organ remain unusable after being submerged by water. Initial cleaning and pumping efforts have been completed and the process of drying the premises is underway, but the full scale of the damage caused to the building remains unclear because water remains underneath the floor.
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