On July 25, the city of Baoding in Hebei Province, China, experienced heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving nearly a year’s worth of average rainfall in just one day. More than five million scorpions scattered from a breeding farm due to the floods. In Yixian County, a bridge collapsed for the second time, with locals mocking it as a shoddy construction. Upstream flood discharge was also questioned for exacerbating the disaster.
According to official sources in Yixian County, the largest rainfall recorded from 8 a.m. on July 24 to 8 a.m. on July 25 was 448.7 millimeters.
Reports from mainland China indicated that the rainfall in Yixian County almost reached the annual average rainfall of around 500 millimeters in Baoding, breaking the area’s single-day rainfall record.
The highest recorded rainfall occurred in the Renyi Village of Tanghu Town, with 448.7 millimeters. It was stated that a total of 182 villages in the county were affected, with 25,000 mu (about 1,666 hectares) of crops damaged, 563 houses, 155 bridges, and 462 kilometers of roads affected, forcing over 19,000 people to evacuate.
A villager from Renyi Village in Tanghu Town of Yixian County mentioned that the flood washed away their cattle pen, as well as their tricycles and electric bicycles, stating that they hadn’t seen such heavy rainfall in nearly thirty years. Some netizens shared videos claiming it to be the biggest rain since 1963.
Tai Tan Village in Yixian County was submerged, with some villagers trapped on rooftops. A relocated villager mentioned that floodwaters entered their house at night, reaching over two meters deep. A small stream passing through the village was impacted by flash floods, widening it to over twenty meters.
Mr. Xu stated to “Extreme News” that he invested over two million yuan in a scorpion breeding business in Yixian County last year. The breeding farm located by the river was almost entirely washed away, with over five million scorpions in total. As the farm was uninsured, he was unsure how to deal with such losses.
Netizens expressed concerns about the large number of scorpions being dispersed, potentially leading to harm to people.
On July 25, many netizens reported that the Yihedi Bridge in Yihedi Village, Baoding Yixian County, had collapsed due to the flood, advising caution and alternative routes.
There were circulating videos showing half of the railing hanging in the air near a raging river. Some netizens claimed it to be the nearby Yihedi Bridge, which had collapsed in July 2021 and now flooded their yards.
Media reports revealed that officials confirmed the bridge indeed collapsed for the second time due to the massive volume of water. However, some netizens insisted that the (new) bridge collapsed soon after opening, calling it a shoddy construction.
A blogger in a video remarked, “The bridge collapsed quickly, but it was also built quickly, China’s speed.”
Public also questioned the upstream reservoir’s discharge exacerbating the disaster.
On July 25, netizens captured images of the Anggezhuang Reservoir along the upper reaches of the Yishui River in Yixian County discharging water, causing rapid river rise.