Shaanxi Province has been hit by heavy rainfall in recent days, triggering mudslides, landslides, and collapses of mountainsides in multiple areas. As of the evening of August 6th, 1 person has died and 3 others are missing in Zhashui County in Shangluo and Tongguan County in Weinan. Nearly 10,000 people in Zhashui have been affected, with damaged roads and infrastructure in Zhen’an and Hanyin, and some houses flooded. A section of a national road in Zhouzhi, Xi’an, has been closed due to a landslide.
From July 30th to August 5th, continuous rainfall has been reported in Zhashui County, as per the official Xinhua News Agency on August 6th. On the 5th, a family in Xingping Town was buried by a mudslide while clearing water next to their house, resulting in one death and two missing persons.
Local residents of Xingping Town mentioned to “Hai Bao News” that even though the weather has cleared up, some village roads remain impassable. A resident from Yanping Village stated that the village experienced a power outage since the evening of the 5th, which had not been restored by the evening of the 6th.
A resident of Group Seven in Xingping Community described how flash floods carried mine slag from the mountains into the nearby river, submerging the first floor of three households. A provided video showed the houses surrounded by floodwater, with mud and water entering through the back windows and rushing out of the front door.
As of the 6th, 9 townships, 54 villages, and communities in Zhashui County have a total of 3,718 households and 9,901 people affected. 284 households and 345 houses have been damaged, with 19 collapsed and 111 severely damaged. Ninety-nine road collapses and 98 roadbed collapses have been reported, affecting 151.06 hectares of crops, resulting in an estimated direct economic loss of about 33 million RMB.
In Xingping Town, 38 sections of river embankments totaling 16.2 kilometers have been damaged, along with 29 road collapses. Forty-four hectares of farmland have been affected, with greenhouses of 15 family farms flooded and three breeding farms impacted.
Reported by “The Paper,” on the evening of August 5th, a landslide occurred in Wu Village Center Community of Jiajia Jiugu in Guguan County, Weinan City, resulting in a collapsed house and one person missing.
Subsequently, 405 residents in the vicinity were evacuated. As of the evening of the 6th, the missing person has not been found, and their identity has not been disclosed by local media.
On August 5th, flooding disasters struck multiple areas in Zhuang’an County, Shangluo, damaging roads, bridges, power, and communication facilities. That night, communication and power were interrupted in the town of Mi Liang, with roads covered in mud and debris washed down by floodwater, and some roadbeds being eroded. As of the afternoon of the 6th, rainfall in the area was ongoing.
The provincial road leading to Mi Liang Town, about 10 kilometers from the town government, has half of its road surface collapsed, with the remaining parts mostly hanging in the air. Another road segment about 1 kilometer ahead was also washed out by floodwater, making it impassable for vehicles.
Han Yin County in Ankang experienced heavy to torrential rainfall on August 6th, with localized rainfall reaching up to 293 millimeters. Some river embankments collapsed, causing flooding in houses and factories, mud covering roads, and several road closures, affecting traffic flow and leading to temporary halts in production at some enterprises.
The heavy rainfall also triggered mountainside collapses on several national and provincial roads in Shaanxi. On August 5th, signs of landslides appeared on a section of National Highway 108 in Zhouzhi County, Xi’an, with a small truck about to enter the dangerous section being stopped in time.
Only 23 seconds after the truck reversed, the mountainside suddenly collapsed, with massive boulders rolling onto the road. The affected section was subsequently completely closed off.
Weather forecasts indicate that Shaanxi will continue to experience rainfall from August 7th to 8th, with heavy rain in some areas on the 7th in Ankang. The disaster-affected regions still face risks of secondary disasters such as flash floods, landslides, and mudslides.