On August 20, Liaoning Province’s Huludao City in Jianchang County suffered from severe flooding. Residents from Jianchang County revealed that the situation in rural areas was extremely dire, with communication lost in many places. The county town had also been cut off for nearly a day. Local water supply had been interrupted, and the Palace Mountain Reservoir in Dalin River, which runs through the county, began releasing floodwaters at 7 p.m., causing water levels to rise further.
Numerous videos circulated on mainland social media platforms on the 20th, showing the serious flooding in Jianchang County, Huludao City, Liaoning Province. In the videos, residents expressed concerns as houses were being engulfed by floodwaters, with one person mentioning the disappearance of a neighboring house’s metallic roof and the impending threat to their own house being full of water imminently.
On the same day, Jianchang County issued a notice declaring a halt to all work and production, urging residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.
A resident of Jianchang County, Chen Yi (pseudonym), shared with reporters that they were caught off guard by the scale of the flooding, particularly severe in the eastern part of Jianchang. The county town had been without communication for a day, while rural areas remained out of contact, leading to a paralysis of communication networks with phone calls unable to get through.
Locals informed Chen that the situation in Datun, a village in rural areas of the county, was the most severe, with floodwaters submerging villages and residents seeking refuge on rooftops.
Chen Yi disclosed that official sources informed him that the Palace Mountain Reservoir in Jianchang County increased its flood discharge at 7 p.m. to “500 cubic meters per second.” He expressed concerns over rising water levels, emphasizing the need to prevent the waters from reaching the bridges.
Public records indicate that there are over 40 rivers flowing through and originating in the county, with major rivers being Dalin River, Liugu River, Qinglong River, and Heishui River. Additionally, the county boasts 31 large, medium, and small reservoirs.
Dalind River, passing through the county town, hosts the Palace Mountain Reservoir, one of the reservoirs along the river. Chen Yi mentioned that the “Water Park,” located some distance from the reservoir, had been submerged on the 20th, with floodwaters seeping into the glass pathways. He lamented the loss of the glass pathways scheduled for inspection that day due to the flooding, with numerous trees uprooted and even refrigerators swept away.
According to the Liaoning Provincial Meteorological Department, from August 18 to 20, some areas in Huludao experienced torrential rain. Jianchang County’s Heshanke Township, Leijiadian Township, Heshangfangzi Township, Yangmadianzi Township, and Datun Town were severely affected, resulting in communication disruptions in four villages. On the 19th, Jianchang County Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters announced that the water level in the Palace Mountain Reservoir had reached the flood limit, prompting the opening of floodgates at 3 p.m. with a discharge rate of 50 cubic meters per second for a planned seven-day release.
A resident of Jianchang County’s Chengjun (pseudonym) told reporters that water accumulation reached around 20 centimeters in locations such as Galaxy Residential Quarter and in front of Jinling Building on Nan Street, with blockages present upstream and downstream.
Peng Shuang from Shenyang, originally from Shifoxiang in Jianchang, expressed concern over the severe impact on Datun and Heshanke. Some areas, like Yunshandong, remained unreachable by phone, while constructions on the high-speed rail were washed away and sealed off. Peng noted the lack of communication in rural Jianchang.
Peng mentioned that they were preparing to return to Jianchang in the afternoon to evacuate family members, particularly the elderly parents, from their home.
Furthermore, informed netizens expressed distress over unaccounted individuals in various townships like Bashhanxiang on National Highway 318 in Jianchang and anxieties about the situation in Wangbaoyingzi Township without being able to reach their families.
Public data shows that Jianchang County comprises seven towns, 21 townships, and an economic zone. The seven towns include Jianchang Town, Tangshen Temple Town, Llamadong Town, Datun Town, Linglongta Town, Yaowang Temple Town, and Bajiazi Town. The townships consist of Mangniuyingzi Township, Shifoxiang Town, Wangbaoyingzi Township, Laodazhangzi Township, Heshangfangzi Township, Yangshuwanzizi Township, Heshanke Township, among others.