Due to continuous heavy rainfall and the ongoing release of floodwaters upstream, Rongjiang County in Guizhou Province, China, is facing the worst flooding in 30 years. Following a previous flood a few days ago, on June 28th, the authorities raised the flood control emergency response level from Level II to Level I. Local residents are fleeing the area.
On June 28th, the Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters of Rongjiang County in Guizhou Province once again issued an emergency notice to elevate the flood control emergency response level, signaling an escalation of the flooding situation.
According to official reports, based on hydrological forecasts: it is anticipated that around 5:00 p.m. on June 28th, the water level at the Duliujiang Lime Plant Hydrological Station in Rongjiang County will reach a peak of 253.50 meters (with a corresponding peak flow of 8360 cubic meters per second), exceeding the guaranteed water level of 251.50 meters by 2.0 meters. Starting from 12:30 p.m. on June 28, 2025, the flood control emergency response level was raised from Level II to Level I. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of all residents in the seven major flood-prone areas in Rongjiang County.
Public records show that Rongjiang County is intersected by several rivers including the Duliujiang, Zhaihao River, Pingyong River. Among these, the Duliujiang is the main river in Rongjiang County and an important tributary of the Xijiang River system. The county town of Rongjiang is located at the confluence of the Duliujiang, Zhaihao River, and Pingyong River.
Online videos posted by netizens show that just as the previous floodwaters were receding and people were cleaning up their homes and belongings, sirens sounded in the air, prompting them to evacuate once again.
One blogger warned, “Friends, run quickly, I heard the flood is rising again. There is a lot of water coming from the direction of Leishan County. Everyone should run as fast as they can, it’s too dangerous. We had just finished cleaning our shops and now the flood is returning.”
Another blogger indicated that the second wave of flooding in Rongjiang County is imminent. On June 28th, heavy rain once again swept across the entire county. Just the day before, on June 27th, the accumulated water in the city had seemingly dried up. However, today they received notifications that there would be another round of flood discharge from upstream, with the volume of water expected to be no less than the previous instance.
One blogger captured footage of the flood situation in Tashixiang, upstream of Pingjiang River in Rongjiang County.
The flooding scenes in Leishan County, adjacent to Rongjiang County, are also unsettling.
Previously, from June 20th to 21st, Rongjiang County in Guizhou Province was hit by torrential rain, causing rapid rises in river levels and resulting in disasters such as road collapses, flooding of farmland, and water entering homes. By the 24th, several residents told reporters that the floodwaters reached as high as the third floor, it was terrifying, with some areas completely submerged.
Numerous online videos show flooding in the popular tourist spot “Village Super” in Rongjiang, with the football field there being inundated. In the largest marketplace in Rongjiang – Changchi Square, water gushed in like a waterfall, quickly engulfing the area in floodwaters.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency of the Communist Party of China on June 28th, since June 24th, Rongjiang County in Guizhou Province has experienced severe flooding, prompting the escalation of the flood control emergency response level from Level II to Level I at 12:00 on that day. As of 11:00 on June 26th, the flooding has tragically claimed the lives of 6 individuals within the county.
However, the Chinese authorities have historically been criticized for concealing disaster-related data.
Several interviewees previously mentioned to reporters that this year’s flooding in Rongjiang is even more severe than the floods experienced in 1996. Back then, there were no protective embankments, but now there are, yet some bridges have been washed away by the floodwaters.
It is important to note that recent floods in China are not only attributed to heavy rainfall but also often linked to the deliberate release of floodwaters by authorities. In the recent days, torrential rains have hit Rongjiang County in Qiandongnan, Guizhou Province, with multiple instances of flood discharges from upstream hydroelectric stations causing rapid rises in water levels along the Pingyong River, Zhaihao River, and Duliujiang.
Residents in Tuokou Town in Huaihua City, Hunan province, where floods have also occurred recently, revealed to reporters that multiple hydroelectric stations upstream have discharged floodwaters, leading to a significant rise in the water level of Yuanjiang River starting from the 23rd.