Due to the influence of the residual rain bands of Typhoon “Bolo Yi,” Guangxi has been experiencing continuous heavy rain, leading to flooding in places like Baise. Despite some official rescue efforts being reported, local residents have expressed that they have been left stranded without assistance for several days. The major river passing through the core area of Guangxi, Yu River, surpassed the warning water level yesterday (October 3), and the flood peak is expected to pass through today, though water levels remain high.
The upper reaches of Yu River, known as Right River and Left River, flow through Baise and Chongzuo City in Guangxi. Since September 29, both cities have been hit by extreme heavy rain, resulting in severe flood situations. Videos shared by residents of Baise show collapsed houses, destroyed homes, roads turned into waterways requiring boats for transportation, and vast fields submerged with crops flattened.
Xiaoyan, a resident of Jingxi Town, Lutong Town, Bai County, shared her experience of the flooding. On the night of September 29, heavy rain poured down while villagers were fast asleep. Xiaoyan recounted that on the evening of October 3, her family was caught off guard by the rising floodwaters. Her uncle noticed the severity of the situation and quickly woke everyone up to move electrical appliances upstairs. Unfortunately, some rice they couldn’t relocate ended up submerged. The family, along with other villagers, relocated to houses on higher ground within the village.
“We were fortunate that our last row of houses remained dry. We cooked and shared meals together, enduring the hardship as a united village community,” Xiaoyan stated. They stayed in the village for five days without any rescue personnel arriving. Despite the village chief reporting the disaster to the local authorities, there was no response or assistance provided.
Xiaoyan described the dwindling food and water supplies in the village. They managed to acquire a speedboat on the fifth day from her cousin’s friend, allowing the youth in the village to purchase supplies. While the current food supplies can last a few more days, water scarcity remains a pressing issue.
She mentioned that some villagers have managed to climb up the mountain roads and leave the village, leaving behind around 20 elderly residents. Xiaoyan expressed concerns about how the elderly, who are unable to climb out, would survive. Illiterate herself, she expressed difficulty in seeking outside help as she didn’t know how to communicate their distress.
She revealed that the village is currently without tap water supply. If the weather remains dry in the coming days, the floodwaters should recede, allowing for a gradual return to normalcy in the village.
In a stark contrast, as the Chinese Communist Party celebrated the 76th anniversary of its usurpation on October 1, 22 rivers in Guangxi burst their banks with floods surpassing warning levels. Despite the widespread flooding in places like Baise, the official reports downplayed the severity of the situation. Some state media only released information about the overflowing rivers and select official rescue efforts.
Local residents took to social media to share videos questioning why the authorities were understating the disaster.
As of 8:00 a.m. on October 4, according to the Nanning Hydraulic Center, in the next 24 hours, the water levels of Right River and Left River are expected to recede, while the river section in the urban area of Guigang City on the Yu River will continue to rise by 0.5 to 1.0 meters. Although water levels are beginning to fall, the flood peak of Yong River is passing through Nanning, maintaining high water levels for an extended period.
On October 3, Guigang’s key shipping hub opened the floodgates for water discharge, submerging trees on both sides of the embankments. Due to the flooding, certain areas have entered an emergency flood prevention period. The Guangxi Ethnic Museum and Nanning Confucius Temple Museum have temporarily closed. Temporary traffic controls have been implemented on some roads and the Yong River Bridge.