On June 24th, Rongjiang County in Guizhou Province was once again hit by floods, with river water levels rising dramatically. The “Cunchao” competition venue was submerged, and the largest shopping mall in Rongjiang has been filled with floodwater. Large areas of Rongjiang County town are underwater, with the situation “getting out of control.”
According to reports from various Chinese media outlets including Xinhua News Agency, in the early hours of June 24th, due to continuous heavy rainfall and increased water from upstream, multiple rivers within Rongjiang County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province, have experienced rapid rises in water levels which are expected to surpass the levels of a “once-in-30-years” flood.
Several local internet users have shared flood videos, with some footage showing the biggest and busiest shopping mall in the county – Changchi Plaza, being submerged with floodwater pouring in like a waterfall.
By noon on the 24th, multiple merchants from the affected mall confirmed the incident to Chinese media, with one merchant stating, “In just a few minutes, the floodwater surged in, we couldn’t move the goods in time, resulting in significant losses.”
Ms. Wang, who sells children’s clothing on the second floor, lamented, “The newly stocked summer clothes are all soaked, worth tens of thousands!” Next door, Mr. Yang’s shop has had its roller shutter doors deformed by the water pressure.
According to reports from Red Star News, aerial footage provided by a resident in Rongjiang County shows that the “Cunchao” sports field, where a competition was recently held, has been completely submerged by floodwater. Additionally, a large part of the city streets surrounding the sports field is also flooded. Residents are using plastic basins to rescue people within the community, with the basins almost reaching the balconies of second-floor apartments.
“I’m approaching 60 this year, and it’s been many years since I witnessed such a big flood. Hopefully, the water will recede soon,” said Mr. Yang, a resident of Rongjiang.
Videos taken by local residents show that a section of the Xiarong Highway at kilometer 1263 has turned into a river, and numerous streets in the area have also been flooded, with cars being swept away by the water flow. A netizen mentioned that their 4-year-old son and grandfather were visiting relatives in Rongjiang and got stranded on the upper floors. Luckily, they are on the 10th floor, while the flood has reached the third floor level.
Due to the flood, local electricity and communication services have been completely disrupted, and schools have announced the suspension of classes.
By noon on the 24th, a villager from a village near Rongjiang County town told “Morning News of Xiaoxiang” that most parts of the entire city are submerged. According to the villager, water levels rose rapidly from around 3 a.m. until after 9 a.m. on the 24th, when the situation became “out of control.”
Another resident living in the county town mentioned that they reside in a low-lying area, with water already reaching the fourth floor. They had spent the night without sleep and had to relocate to higher ground. The resident noted that although it’s not currently raining in the county town, the water is coming from upstream, leaving the town without water and electricity.
As of now, the areas under severe threat from the flood include residential areas like Jinhai Bay, River View City, Harmony, Academic Fu, Coral Sea, Jiangshanli, Tianyou, Hongkun, Wangu, Fute, Mountain and Water Rongcheng, Gudong Mingyuan, and the surrounding regions of Rongjiang New Town.
According to the Guizhou Provincial Meteorological Observatory, from the night of the 24th to the 27th, Guizhou is expected to experience a new round of strong precipitation, compounded by the effects of previous rainfall. This increases the risk of secondary disasters such as river flooding, flash floods, geological disasters, and urban-rural waterlogging.
The topic of “Large parts of Rongjiang City in Guizhou submerged by floods” has gained traction on social media, sparking public attention and discussions.
“Xiaomaiyouxiangfa”: Southern floods have been raging for days, but still couldn’t trend.
“Xiaoqiangyoushi”: Just as the floods in Hunan are receding, this year’s excessive rainfall is leading to disasters.
“Yushiwuzhengnumber1”: Is this a natural disaster or has human activities played a role in causing it?