Beijing, China – On the same day, reservoirs in Miyun, Huairou, Pinggu, and other areas in Beijing began releasing floodwaters, leading to floods in many parts of the region. The floods have caused landslides, road washouts, and disruptions in water and power supply in villages in the mountainous areas of Huairou.
In regions like Yanqing, Huairou, and Miyun, heavy rainfall continued on July 26 and 27, with a red alert for heavy rain issued in Beijing on the evening of July 26.
The reservoir in Miyun started releasing floodwaters on the afternoon of July 27. A local broadcaster in Beijing mentioned that personnel were monitoring the flood release area and restricting access, so he had to conduct a live broadcast from a location 20 kilometers away from the reservoir. On one side was the Tiao River and on the other side was the Bai River, which eventually flows into the Miyun reservoir.
According to staff at the Miyun reservoir, the flood release increased from 80 cubic meters per second to 200 cubic meters per second, reaching 400 cubic meters per second by 4 p.m.
A longtime resident of Beijing remarked that it had been a long time since they had seen such severe flooding. Some residents even compared it to the flood in Fangshan 23 years ago.
Reports from mainland China highlighted that the rainfall and flooding in Miyun caused flash floods, leading to submerged villages, disrupted transportation, and communication outages. Debris was seen floating in the flooded areas.
In Miyun, there were reports of five instances of mudslides along Fanqi Road and Dadi Village.
In the early morning of the 27th, flood release began at the Qinglong Gorge Reservoir at the border of Miyun and Huairou, quickly submerging some sections of roads. The situation was reportedly more severe in Dadicun, under the jurisdiction of Changshaoying in Huairou, with more roads being blocked, including Dawayu Village downstream where the water rapidly reached knee-high levels.
Local reports from Beijing Daily indicated that Huairou District was severely affected, with at least three reservoirs releasing floods on the 27th, including the Huairou Reservoir, Beitaishang Reservoir, and Dawayu Reservoir.
In Liulimiao Town, under the jurisdiction of Huairou, communication with the outside world was lost on the 26th. Concerned citizens in Beijing posted inquiries about their missing relatives, unable to contact them, and sought information on the situation in Liulimiao, reporting that the signal tower had fallen and was under repair, expected to be fixed by 6 p.m.
Following up on the emergency response in the area, the wife of a local rescue worker shared that the heavy rain on the night of the 26th led to numerous geological disasters in Huairou.
Furthermore, a travel blogger from Beijing highlighted that the mountainous areas in Huairou were hit by heavy rains, causing signal and network disruptions. Road collapses were reported on Jingjialu and Sibaolu, with traffic to Beijing cut off. Rainfall was still ongoing, posing risks for those venturing into the mountains.
As the situation unfolded, five reservoirs in Pinggu District released floodwaters on the 27th. Reports from Beijing Youth Daily at the time referred to “water discharge operations” as an alternative term for flood discharge.
According to the Pinggu District Water Bureau in Beijing, due to heavy rainfall and inflow from upstream sources, Hai Zi, Xi Yu, Huang Yu, Yangjiatai, and Huayu reservoirs were conducting water discharge operations, leading to a noticeable rise in river levels with fast-flowing and turbulent water.
In the upstream of the Yongding River in Fengtai and Fangshan Districts in Beijing, the Guanguan Reservoir also released floodwaters on the 27th. With heavy rain starting in the area at 5 p.m., locals urgently advised residents living along the Mentougou River to stay vigilant.
By 7 p.m. on the 27th, authorities in Beijing issued a red alert for geological disaster meteorological risks for the next two days, including landslides, mudslides, and high risk of geological disasters in Huairou, Yanqing, Pinggu, and Miyun. Meanwhile, Fangshan and Changping were under an orange alert with high risks, and Haidian was under a yellow alert.
In Hebei Province, flooding was rampant with houses submerged in Chengde. A villager from Longhua County in Chengde shared that their village had lost power, water, and internet connections due to floods, causing severe losses.
Speaking about the evacuation efforts, the villager mentioned the impacts on various villages due to the flood release from the temple reservoir. The village’s farmland and greenhouses were flooded, and many residents had to be relocated to the county town.
The temple reservoir is located 30 kilometers south of Weichang County in Chengde City, Hebei Province, on the main stream of the Yisun River. It is a large-scale water conservancy project primarily designed to prevent floods while also serving irrigation and power generation purposes.
The villager expressed deep concern about the flooding situation, emphasizing the potential risks the flood posed to the county town. Although the city had not been submerged, water supply had been cut off.
He further elaborated on the extensive damages caused by the flooding, with bridges collapsing and fields being submerged, especially in the village of Zhangsanying. Despite facing significant losses, he noted that the city had not suffered major consequences yet.
As efforts continued to mitigate the impact of the floods, authorities and residents remained vigilant in the face of ongoing heavy rainfall and the risk of further geological disasters.