On July 1, 2024, Yueyang Pingjiang County in Hunan Province encountered a major flood, causing the county town to be submerged and many people to lose contact. However, the authorities have not reported any casualties. Some citizens have alleged that many people have died and questioned the official information. They also said that the authorities released floodwaters without sufficient notice.
According to official reports, on July 1, Pingjiang County in Yueyang, Hunan Province was threatened by the floodwaters of the Miluo River. Two sections of the levee in the county town overflowed, leading to one-third of the old town and half of the new town being submerged.
On July 2, the website of the Ministry of Water Resources of the Chinese Communist Party stated that due to the impact of rainfall and inflow from tributaries, at 11:40 pm on July 1, the water level at the Hankou hydrological station in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River rose to 27.31 meters, exceeding the warning level by 0.01 meters. Consequently, the entire middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River downstream from Dongting Lake have exceeded the warning level.
Hunan authorities reported that on July 1 at 9 p.m., the water level at the Pingjiang station on the Miluo River rose to 77.63 meters, exceeding the warning level by 7.13 meters and surpassing the guaranteed water level by 3.63 meters, marking the highest water levels since 1954. The rapid rise in water levels posed a threat to Pingjiang County and Miluo City along the Miluo River, resulting in severe flooding in many areas.
Local official media reported that since June 18, Pingjiang County has received a total of 759.6 millimeters of rainfall, the highest recorded in the local meteorological history since 1961. By around 7 pm on July 1, a total of 190 reservoirs in the county had overflowed. Over the past 48 hours, the water level at the Pingjiang Station on the Miluo River rose by as much as 9.5 meters. About 7,000 meters of levees in Pingjiang County town were flooded, leading to flooding and local water accumulation of up to 3 meters deep in some areas. Several towns in Pingjiang experienced severe flooding, landslides, road blockages, building collapses, and widespread flooding.
A staff member at a hospital in Pingjiang County told a reporter on July 2, “The roads around us are flooded, some are already up to three or four floors. Some sections of the highway have also collapsed, making them impassable. Many of our colleagues came to work yesterday morning, but couldn’t return home in the afternoon. We still don’t know if there are any casualties.”
The staff member added, “It’s not raining now, but the water is receding slowly. The weather forecast predicts more rainfall. Continuous heavy rainfall in the past week has caused internal flooding. Then, some reservoirs upstream opened their gates to release water. By the time we received the notice, it was already too late, and many areas had already been flooded.”
On the morning of July 1, Pingjiang County had suspended 11 urban bus routes and 91 rural bus routes. Videos shared by local residents show several residential areas in the city inundated by floodwaters.
Authorities in Pingjiang issued a county-wide notice yesterday, stating that the county is experiencing the longest, strongest, and most rainfall since the beginning of meteorological records.
Official reports have not disclosed any casualties. However, a news report by “Fengmi News” on July 2 morning stated, “All personnel in the flooded areas have been safely relocated, and there are no reports of casualties.”
Nevertheless, some local residents believe that the official information is being withheld, claiming that they know of multiple deaths. A netizen from Pingjiang told a reporter on July 2, “Actually, many people have died in Pingjiang, it’s just not announced. My classmate is gone, and some people in certain neighborhoods have been washed away.”
Another local netizen informed the reporter that he knew of an elderly person living alone on the first floor who was swept away by the floodwaters.
One Pingjiang resident disclosed that one of their classmates was washed away and died. They also mentioned that some people in the neighborhood were swept away by the floodwaters but refused to provide further details, saying, “Please don’t ask anymore.”
A local government worker mentioned vaguely, “There are relatively few casualties. Any incidents of casualties were accidental and not widespread. We have not received any specific reports, maybe just one or two small incidents.”
He also stated that communication lines are disrupted in most areas, as the flooding has damaged the operators’ infrastructure. “The peak has passed, and the water is slowly receding.”
One netizen posted a video saying, “We lost contact with our home since this afternoon, there is no signal in the village, and the rain is still pouring. We are afraid of landslides and can only wait anxiously. I have never seen such a large volume of water before.”
Another netizen expressed, “I saw the neighboring area flooded. The water channel downstairs was submerged within tens of meters.”
While another netizen captured footage of flood discharge, saying, “The Huangjindong Dam has started discharging water. The water level is expected to rise by two meters in the future…”
One netizen commented on social media that from the videos and pictures circulating on the internet, it is evident that Pingjiang County is facing severe flooding, with some areas experiencing significant water accumulation. “Undoubtedly, this is a complete tragedy.”
The netizen added, “Many users do not want to witness such incidents. As the floodwaters pass through Hunan Pingjiang, the county town is submerged, with water levels almost reaching the roofs of cars. Countless local residents are likely to lose sleep again.”
According to the website of the Ministry of Water Resources of the Chinese Communist Party on July 2, it is forecasted that the water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will continue to rise. After July 5, water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River main and tributaries and the two lakes are expected to gradually recede, with the water levels above the warning level lasting for about 15 days, and by around July 15, all levels will return to below the warning levels.