On September 14, Hainan Island was hit by heavy rainstorms, coupled with the vigorous discharge of reservoirs, causing flooding in Wuzhishan. Wanning City’s Wancheng Town was struck by a tornado with wind speeds reaching 11 to 12 on the Beaufort scale, resulting in damage to nearby buildings and trees.
According to the news from China News, at around 10:25 on September 14, Wanning City’s Wancheng Town experienced a wind disaster in the Yongfan community area, primarily affecting the Beijing Normal University Wanning Experimental School. The local meteorological bureau preliminarily determined it as a tornado (EF0 level), with wind speeds reaching 11 to 12.
The report mentioned that tornadoes are characterized by small scale, sudden intensity, and intense impact. Part of the school’s playground fence collapsed, around 20 meters of metal fencing was overturned and displaced by strong winds, football goal posts toppled, some trees snapped or uprooted, streetlights fell, and some facilities were damaged. Officials reported no casualties.
Furthermore, from 8 am on September 11 to 6 am on September 14, five counties including Wuzhishan and Lingshui experienced rainfall exceeding 500 millimeters in 13 townships, with Pingzhou Town in Qiongzhong County recording 623.6 millimeters. By 3 pm on the 14th, the rainfall in Wuzhishan City had reached 672 millimeters in 24 hours, setting a historical record since 1958.
On the morning of the 14th, Wuzhishan City was besieged by floods, with vast expanses of water, sweeping away many vehicles and residents. Mudslides occurred in various areas, causing damage to power equipment, gas lines in urban areas, and water supply pipelines in urban and rural areas.
Official information indicates that due to the unprecedented heavy rainfall, water levels in reservoirs across Hainan rapidly rose on the 14th, leading to the opening of dams for flood discharge in Wuzhishan, Wanning, Dongfang, and other regions, exacerbating the flood situation.
As of 1 pm on the 14th, the real-time water level of Wuzhishan Reservoir had reached 537.1 meters (equivalent to 84.9% of normal capacity). To reduce the risk of operating beyond flood limits, the reservoir initiated flood discharge at 2:30 pm on September 14, with an initial outflow rate of 300 cubic meters per second. Due to persistent heavy rainfall, Wanning City’s Chenxiang Bay Reservoir also saw a rapid rise in water levels, prompting flood discharge starting at 2 pm on the 14th at initial rates of 30 to 200 cubic meters per second.
Dongfang City increased and adjusted flood discharge intensity from 9 am on the 14th. The outflow rates of Daguang Dam Reservoir and Gezhen Reservoir were raised from around 3000 cubic meters per second to 4000 to 5500 cubic meters per second simultaneously.
In addition to the aforementioned regions, Dailong Reservoir in Sanya, Tianzi Reservoir in Lingshui County, and Niululing Reservoir in Qionghai City also opened their gates for flood discharge.
It is worth noting that the primary and traditional function of reservoirs is flood retention during the rainy season. In times of heavy rain or floods, reservoirs intercept excess water from upstream areas, reducing flood peak flows to safeguard downstream urban areas.
Another function is drought resistance – during the dry season when rain is scarce, reservoirs release water to provide stable irrigation sources for downstream crops, ensuring agricultural productivity.
However, in reality, Chinese reservoirs often discharge water without warning before or during intense rainfall, out of fear of dam failure due to inadequate engineering quality.
Renowned hydraulic expert Wang Weiluo previously stated that during floods, the Chinese government prioritizes reservoir safety, meaning that flood discharge is the immediate response when floods occur. With reservoirs in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River arranged in cascades, one dam’s discharging triggers subsequent releases downstream, resulting in massive flood peaks. China currently employs a reservoir accountability system, where reservoir managers are held responsible in case of incidents, leading to a culture of fear of accountability.
He mentioned that China currently has nearly 100,000 reservoirs, with roughly three-quarters considered unsafe. Many of these dams have surpassed their lifespan but remain operational without decommissioning. Despite massive annual funding for renovations and expansions, mainly focusing on repairing dilapidated or high-risk reservoirs, efforts have been largely ineffective. The number of poor-quality reservoirs continues to increase, posing growing risks.