In recent days, numerous regions in China have been experiencing heavy rainfall, leading to floods exceeding warning levels in 41 rivers nationwide. Record-breaking rainfall in Hebei province has resulted in 4 deaths and 8 missing persons, while in Shanxi province, a bus was swept away by floodwaters, causing 1 death and 13 missing persons. On July 28th at noon, Beijing issued a red alert for heavy rain. Chinese leader Xi Jinping mentioned that the floods had caused “significant casualties and property losses”.
On July 28th at noon, the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources concluded a flood season consultation, reporting that currently, 41 rivers across the country have exceeded warning levels for floods.
On the evening of the 28th, Chinese leader Xi Jinping stated that Eastern China, North China, Northeast China, and other regions have been continuously hit by heavy rainfall, resulting in floods and geological disasters, leading to significant casualties and property losses in Beijing, Hebei, Jilin, Shandong, and other regions. Premier Li Keqiang also commented on the situation, emphasizing the need for full efforts in search and rescue for missing persons in the disaster-stricken areas.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, due to the impact of heavy rainfall, water levels in 16 rivers in Beijing, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, and other regions have surpassed their alert levels, with the largest exceedance reaching 3.48 meters. Extreme precipitation has triggered floods and flash floods in many areas, resulting in multiple fatalities, missing persons, and the evacuation of thousands of residents from their homes.
Hebei province has been severely affected by the floods, with reports of casualties and missing persons continuing to emerge. On July 28th, continuous heavy rainfall in Manyingsi Manzu Township, Nantai Zi West Gou, Shanxi province, led to a landslide, resulting in 4 confirmed deaths and 8 missing persons by noon of the same day.
A resident from Guojiatun, Longhua County, in Chengde City, Hebei province, described the situation: “Guojiatun is flooded, the situation is quite severe, almost everyone has evacuated into their homes. Power and internet are down, a lot of fields are destroyed, and many vehicles have been submerged or swept away. A tourist’s vehicle got stranded overnight and had to be towed away by a bulldozer.”
Between 5pm on July 25th and 1am on July 26th, Fuping County in Baoding City, Hebei province, experienced an average rainfall of 140.5 millimeters, with the highest recorded rainfall occurring in Xizhuang (hydrological station) at 532 millimeters. The maximum hourly rainfall intensity of 145 millimeters also occurred in Xizhuang (hydrological station), surpassing historical records in the region. As of 6pm on July 26th, the torrential rain had affected 46,235 people in 6 townships in Fuping County, forcing over 4600 evacuations and resulting in 2 deaths and 2 missing persons.
A restaurant owner in Fuping County, Baoding City, Ms. Zhang, shared her experience: “The water from the river suddenly flooded into my restaurant, it was too dangerous – about two meters of water filled the place, I was terrified all night, couldn’t sleep, and the property damage is severe, forcing us to cease operations. There were over a hundred vehicles submerged by the water, and rescue teams kept pulling them out, washing away who knows how many vehicles.”
On the morning of July 27th, a bus traveling in Datong City, Shanxi province, encountered difficulties, and 14 passengers went missing, all of whom were migrant workers, with the youngest being just 19 years old, having recently completed the college entrance examination. On the 28th, state media CCTV News reported that the body of one victim had been found, leaving 13 persons still missing.
According to a message from the “Shanxi News Broadcast” WeChat public account, heavy rainfall in the northern central part of Shanxi province has caused floods in multiple rivers, with the precipitation still ongoing.
Due to continuous heavy rainfall, on July 27th at around 10am, a landslide occurred in Mangdong Village, Laba Township, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Pu’er City, Yunnan province, burying a small sedan with 5 occupants inside, all of whom tragically perished.
In the afternoon of July 27th, Liu Yang City, Hunan province, experienced a sudden short but intense downpour, causing the water level in the river at Liudiequan Grand Canyon in Chunkou Township to rise rapidly, accelerating the flow and leading to a visitor going missing.
At noon on July 28th, Beijing issued a red alert for heavy rain. It is expected that from 8 pm on the 28th to 7 am on the 29th, most areas of Beijing will receive over 150 millimeters of rainfall in 6 hours, with some areas potentially exceeding 300 millimeters. The risk of disasters such as flash floods, mudslides, and landslides in mountainous and hilly areas is extremely high, and severe waterlogging might occur in low-lying areas.
By 8 pm on the 28th, Beijing’s flood control command center initiated a level one emergency response for flood prevention across the city. Until the response is lifted, non-essential personnel are not required to report to work, schools at all levels have suspended classes, and all tourist attractions and parks have been closed, with the general public advised to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.
Beijing has been experiencing consecutive days of heavy rainfall. Between the 26th and 27th, Bei…