Heavy rainfall in Hunan’s Pingjiang has caused the highest water levels since 1954, with nearly one-third of Pingjiang’s old town and close to half of the new town submerged. The Pingjiang Media Center’s ground floor is flooded, sparking widespread attention online.
According to reports from various mainland media including the Xinhuanghe app on July 2, Pingjiang media journalists stated, “Our station is reporting, our station is flooded…” Over 20 staff including producers, hosts, and reporters of the Pingjiang Media Center are being evacuated by rescue boats to a temporary news center to continue operations.
The phrase “Hunan Pingjiang Media: Our Station Reports, Our Station is Flooded” quickly trended online, sparking discussions among netizens. Some questioned if there was a lack of drainage systems in the area.
Mainland official reports indicate that nearly one-third of Pingjiang’s old town and close to half of the new town are submerged. It is estimated that 340,000 people in Pingjiang county have been affected, with over 2,600 bridges and roads washed away, 5 houses collapsed, 10 severely damaged, and 11 houses with 26 units suffering major destruction. Nearly 170,000 mu of crops have been affected, resulting in economic losses exceeding 200 million yuan. As of the evening of July 1, parts of Pingjiang county experienced power and communication disruptions.
The ongoing rainfall in Pingjiang has been continuous since June 18, with rainfall exceeding 800 millimeters at the Pingjiang station since then. This rainfall event is described as the longest in duration, highest in intensity, and with the greatest amount of rainfall in Pingjiang’s recorded meteorological history.
The historical highest water level in Pingjiang county is recorded at 78.16 meters. As of 6:00 am on the 2nd, the water level had dropped to 77.43 meters.
At 1:20 am on July 2, the Yueyang Hydrology and Water Resources Survey Center issued a flash flood report: at 00:30 on July 2, the main stream of the Miluo River at Pingjiang station reached a peak water level of 77.67 meters, exceeding the warning level (70.50 meters) by 7.17 meters and surpassing the safety level (74.00 meters) by 3.67 meters.