On the evening of June 7th, heavy rain hit Changsha, Hunan Province, causing deep flooding in many areas of the city. The dormitories at the Hupu campus of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine in Changsha were submerged. Some ground floor dorm rooms at the university have been flooded three times in the past two years. Students are concerned that the flooded rooms may harbor bacteria and viruses, and the damp environment could impact their health. Residents are questioning why Changsha faces severe flooding issues during heavy rainfalls and the same problems seem to repeat.
On social media, several users posted about dormitories at the Hupu campus of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine in Yuelu District, Changsha, being flooded with water reaching ankle-high levels, along with reports of power and water outages. One user mentioned, “One dorm has been flooded three times in two years.” Another questioned the lack of drainage systems and remedial measures, expressing dismay at the recurring incidents of flooding, power outages, and water shortages during the heavy rainfall in Hupu.
On the night of the 7th, some netizens posted that after the heavy rain, some ground floor student dormitories at the Hupu campus of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine were “flooded”.
Videos and images shared by netizens showed severe flooding in the dormitories, with yellowish water floating personal belongings of students, some standing in ankle-deep water.
According to Upstream News, on June 8th, a student from the university mentioned that her dorm room was flooded during the heavy rain on the night of the 7th, with water rising above her ankles. The room had four occupants, and later experienced water and power outages. While she stayed at a hotel overnight, two of her roommates spent the night in the flooded room, while another roommate slept in a dry room. The student described the room as still damp, with severe water damage to bed frames, wardrobes, walls, and personal belongings.
The student confirmed that some ground floor dorm rooms at the university have been flooded three times in the past two years. “It flooded once in May-June 2024, again during the summer vacation that year, and now this time,” she said, expressing concerns about potential health risks due to bacteria and viruses in the flooded rooms, impacting the students’ well-being.
Reportedly, on June 8th, information obtained from a staff member at the Hupu campus of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine stated that the school is organizing logistical support personnel to clean up and disinfect the flooded areas.
Changsha experienced rare heavy rainfall on the night of the 7th, with some road sections flooded up to adults’ thighs, making driving akin to navigating a boat, and severe flooding in street-side shops.
Half of the posts on social media depict flooding videos, while the other half lament, “My car has turned into a submarine.” Some users humorously remarked, “In Changsha, if your car hasn’t been soaked by heavy rain, you are not a true car owner!” This hot topic quickly trended locally, described as poking a hole in the sky!
An article by blogger “Gathering Points” observed that from the southern to the northern parts of the city, waterlogged spots sprung up like a game of whack-a-mole. Particularly along the Guotang River, water overflowed onto the roads, turning cars into bumper cars; the main road in Hupu became the “Hupu Grand Canal”, with residents rolling up their pant legs to wade through the muddy waters to work.
The article questioned why despite annual heavy rainfall events, the flooding spots seemed repetitive, especially in Guotang River and Hupu, the “veterans” in this regard, always flooding during rain. This scene is exasperating and frustrating! Despite road maintenance and renovations every year, why do disasters keep occurring in the same areas? A heavy downpour turns Guotang River into the “Yellow River tributary”, and Hupu transforms into a “water town” instantly – even newly developed underground parking garages turn into pools. Is this a natural disaster, or a cycle of human mismanagement?
“People have saved up for years to buy a car with their hard-earned money, and one rain shower turns their car into scrap metal; office workers wade through dirty water to get to work, who is accountable for the rubbish and electrical hazards in the water? Let alone the businesses that suffer losses for six months after flooding, flooding the city’s helpline, but receiving the same response – ‘currently under repair’. Is the city’s drainage system just for show? Despite officials claiming every time after heavy rain to ‘enhance drainage capabilities’.”