On the early morning of May 19th, a severe rainstorm hit Nanning, Guangxi, causing extensive flooding in the city. Residents described it as the most serious flooding they had seen in twenty years. Streets in Guangxi turned into rivers, with numerous cars submerged by the deluge. Photos and videos shared online depicted water levels reaching up to about 1.4 meters on Xiu Tian Road West in Nanning, almost chest-high for adults and even deeper in some areas. The heavy rain was ongoing, raising concerns of further rising water levels.
Images and videos shared by local residents revealed severe flooding on Xiu Tian Road West in Nanning, with over 10 vehicles submerged and water levels reaching approximately 1.4 meters. In other areas, water levels were even higher.
Some netizens from Nanning expressed astonishment at the widespread flooding caused by the heavy rain on May 19th, emphasizing that many car owners were unaware of their vehicles being submerged. It was a level of flooding unseen for the past two decades.
Many local residents complained that this was the second instance of heavy rainfall in Nanning this year and criticized the poor drainage systems in the area.
As the rain continued, the water levels were expected to rise further, expanding the flooded areas. Residents were advised to park their vehicles in higher ground to prevent further losses.
A netizen captured the moment when a girl riding an electric bike fell down on the road during the early morning rush, and her electric bike was washed away by the flood. Concerned shop owners nearby shouted for her to abandon the bike to avoid danger. In the video, the girl seemed reluctant to let go of the bike and tried hard to retrieve it. The outcome of the incident was not shown due to the short duration of the video.
According to reports from various Chinese media outlets, the torrential rain in Nanning on the early morning of May 19th was accompanied by thunder and lightning, startling the residents awake. Many people heading out in the morning found the roads near their homes flooded, making travel impossible, and some individuals were stranded on the road due to the high waters.
Areas such as Wangzhou Road in Nanning experienced deep flooding, with some vehicles submerged. Water covered the motor and non-motor vehicle lanes at the Mingxiu Beihu Road intersection, with drains overflowing. Guì Yǎ Road in Nanning faced severe flooding as well.
Due to the severe flooding within residential areas, potential serious consequences could arise if the water is not properly drained. Consequently, one resident resorted to breaking down a wall to create a temporary flood barrier.
Drivers stuck in submerged tunnels struggled to steer their vehicles out of the flooding waters.
According to meteorological data, since 3 a.m. on May 19th, Nanning had already received over 200 millimeters of rainfall, causing widespread flooding in the city. Areas such as the Xingming Interchange, Cuizhu Road, Yunjing Road in Qingxiu District, Xiu Tian Road’s end in Xingning District, Hépō Road, and North Lake North Road in the Xixiangtang District were all under traffic regulations due to flooding.
The Xiaoxiang Morning News reported that Nanning city saw the heaviest rainfall ever in one hour on the 19th, surpassing 100 millimeters. At Qin Zhou Qin Nan Longmen Port, the rainfall reached 189.6 millimeters in one hour and 204.7 millimeters in 60 minutes, breaking the rain intensity record in Guangxi. Moreover, the 60-minute rainfall exceeded that of the Zhengzhou 720 severe rainfall record.
According to the Guangxi Meteorological Department, from day on the 18th to the early morning of the 19th, there were heavy rains, some of which were torrential, particularly affecting Qinzhou, Fangchenggang, and Nanning cities. Longmen Port Town in Qinzhou recorded 610.5 millimeters of rainfall over 24 hours, breaking historical records for the region. At 3 a.m. on the 19th, the town saw 189.6 millimeters of rainfall in one hour, setting a new hourly rainfall record in Guangxi. Large rainfall was expected to persist in the eastern and coastal areas on the 19th.
At 3:15 a.m. on May 19th, the Nanning Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow lightning warning signal, with thunderstorms approaching the area. Over the next six hours, Nanning City was forecasted to experience thunderstorms, accompanied by short bursts of heavy rain and gusty winds in areas like Jinling and Shuangding in the Xixiangtang District.
At 5:45 a.m. on the 19th, the Nanning Meteorological Observatory upgraded the orange rainstorm warning signal to red, with multiple meteorological offices issuing rainstorm warnings.
The Yulin Meteorological Observatory issued an orange rainstorm warning at 7:03 a.m. on the 19th, and the Chongzuo Meteorological Observatory followed suit at 7:35 a.m.
Data indicated that from 8 p.m. on the 18th to 7 a.m. on the 19th, Nanning experienced heavy to severe rains, with locally extreme rainfall. The highest recorded rainfall was in Xianhu Town, Wuming District, reaching 258.9 millimeters. The highest rainfall intensity in one hour and three hours was observed at the Dongfeng Farm in Wuming Fucheng, with 128.2 millimeters and 174.9 millimeters, respectively, surpassing the previous one-hour rainfall record in Wuming District.
According to automatic stations across the city, rainfall statistics were as follows: One station recorded over 250 millimeters of rainfall (0.29%), 68 stations experienced heavy rain (100-249.9 millimeters), 91 stations reported rains between 50-99.9 millimeters, and 66 stations received rains between 25-49.9 millimeters.
The maximum accumulated rainfall in various counties, cities, and districts includes: Xianhu Town, Wuming District at 258.9 millimeters, Chengxiang Town in Long’an County at 193.2 millimeters, Changtang Town in Qingxiu District at 162.6 millimeters, Gaode Village in Linxu Town, Mashan County at 143.8 millimeters, Xida Nongxueyuan in Xixiangtang District at 143 millimeters, Gaofeng Forest Farm in Xingning 131 millimeters, Zhang Village in Pumiao Town, Yongjuncun in Dalin Town, Shuangzhuo Village in Sizhuang Town, Wuyi Overpass in Jiangnan District, May 283.6xing District, Guangxi Art Center in Liangqing District at 66.8 millimeters.