Due to the continuous heavy rain and the release of floodwaters from the upstream of the Xiuyang River, the water level of the Xiuyang River rose sharply, overflowing its banks, and fierce floodwaters surged into the ancient town of Zhenyuan. As of 4 p.m. on June 29, the water level monitored at the Zhenyuan Dacaiyuan Hydrological Station in the Xiuyang River basin reached 465.3 meters, setting a new historical record surpassing the previous highest level of 463.41 meters in 1996. The images captured were heart-wrenching.
Residents of Zhenyuan had to evacuate urgently as the raging floodwaters trapped residents along the river. The entire city of Zhenyuan experienced power outages and severe transportation disruptions. A local resident told the “Xiaoxiang Morning News” that on the 29th, as soon as he got up, a companion called him to go to the store to move things. “Who would have thought that when I arrived at the store, it was already flooded up to the first floor. The sections of the new bridge and Panlong Bridge were closed.”
According to various reports, the visuals showing the surging floodwaters crashing through, destroying roads and submerging houses were distressing. The ancient streets of Zhenyuan were inundated with murky floodwaters, and the once bustling storefronts now stood closed with signs swaying in the water. With the water levels continuing to rise, there was a risk of three bridges within the ancient city being washed away.
The flood not only inflicted significant economic losses on the local residents but also caused massive destruction to the ancient town. Many historical buildings and cultural heritage sites were severely affected.
According to information released by the Guizhou Provincial Meteorological Observatory, from 8 p.m. on June 28 to 12 p.m. on June 29, torrential rain occurred in 214 monitoring stations across 25 counties (cities, districts) in five cities and prefectures including Zhenyuan, Guiyang, Zunyi, Tongren, Qiannan, and Qiandongnan in Guizhou province.