Since August 19th, Liaoning Province has been experiencing continuous heavy rain, leading to the opening of several reservoirs in Huludao City and Chaoyang City for flood discharge, resulting in the inundation of multiple towns in these areas. Escaped survivors revealed that the ongoing flood discharge from the reservoirs has swept away villages like Sandaogou, Gaojieling, and Guojia Village, along with residents, houses, and vehicles, yet the authorities have been concealing the information.
The combination of heavy rain and flooding has caused 28 towns to lose communication temporarily. As of the afternoon of the 22nd, communication has not fully been restored in some villages. Videos released by local residents show houses in some villages completely submerged, with some old houses collapsing directly. According to mainland media reports, low-lying towns such as Heishanke Township, Leijiadian Township, Heshangfangzi Township, Yangmadianzi Township, and Datun Town have suffered more severe damage.
Local villagers shared online: “The flood came in the middle of the night, many people couldn’t escape in time.” “It is said that many people were swept away.” “Most towns in Jianchang County are without power and signal, bridges and roads are cut off.”
Mrs. Wang, a villager in Jianchang County, expressed to NTD: “When the reservoir discharges water, it’s like a huge wave sweeping everything away. We have lost our homes. The reservoir was private property, why didn’t they release water earlier? They were afraid of fish losses. When the water level rose, they had no choice but to discharge water.”
Mr. Hua, a villager, said: “Yangshuwan is in a miserable state. Houses are gone, fodder and corn are all soaked, all the harvest is ruined. Mud fills the house, and the cattle sheds have been washed away, causing huge losses. The situation is dire, and there is no way to call for rescue. No water, no electricity, nowhere to eat, nowhere to stay, it’s really tragic. The casualties have not been reported by the authorities.”
Mrs. Guo mentioned: “The river embankment has been breached, roads are cut off, we have to detour from the village, everything is flooded, filled with mud. The gates and walls are gone, water is entering the houses, many houses have been washed away, leaving nothing behind but flooded cornfields.”
According to a village official from Xishangen Village in Jianchang County speaking to “Beidou Integrated Media,” the village has suffered severe damage with bridges washed away, many houses destroyed, and agricultural losses exceeding tens of millions.
A villager from Xishangen Village described the moment the flood hit. He said that around 4 a.m. on August 20th, a large amount of water surged in, something they hadn’t seen in over twenty years, washing away 10 cows and 3 vehicles. His own car was pushed more than 300 meters, and if he hadn’t been quick, he could have been swept away as well.
On August 21st, Jianchang County villagers posted online for missing persons. Mr. Dong from Yangshudi Village, Heishanke Township was swept away by floodwaters during the heavy rain, and has been out of contact since. It is suspected that he might have been swept towards the downstream direction from Heishanke Township to Yangshuwan Township. On August 22nd, more information emerged from villagers reporting that a 67-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl from Xuzhangzi Village in Heishanke Township were also washed away by the flood on August 20th and are still missing.
Furthermore, the Gongshanju Reservoir discharged water, causing the Dalin River to swell, leading to multiple villages in Chaoyang City being inundated on August 20th. Residents of Chaoyang City revealed that nearly a hundred vehicles were submerged due to the heavy rain, with severe damage along the Dalin River and its tributaries.
Mr. Yang, a resident of Chaoyang City, told NTD: “Heavy rain combined with reservoir discharge has caused massive water flow, resulting in the destruction of river channels and embankments. The surrounding rural areas have been severely affected, experiencing water and power outages, and communication breakdowns. Many villages have been devastated, with houses collapsing and villagers swept away, yet no official reports have been made.”
This year’s flooding has widely affected Liaoning Province. Several regions in the east, west, south, north, and central parts of Liaoning have been severely hit. Previously, the Yalu River in the east experienced the largest flood in history, causing widespread evacuations in Dandong City. Recently, the Tie Ling area in the north has been impacted by rainfall and upstream river inflows, resulting in flood warnings being exceeded on the Liao River and Dongliao River, with the Wang River, a tributary of the Liao River, facing a risk of breach. The main grain-producing areas in the central region have seen extensive farmland inundation, with the flooded area exceeding 5 million mu at its peak.
In addition, Guangdong, Qinhuangdao in Hebei Province, experienced heavy rainfall, while Tongchuan and Yan’an in Shaanxi were hit by severe hailstorms, causing significant damage to crops. Local residents in the disaster areas lamented: “The hailstorm almost destroyed all the good apples.”
In the coming days, there will be a new round of precipitation in the northern regions. The China Meteorological Administration predicts that from the 24th to the 27th, there will be moderate to heavy rain in the eastern part of Northwest China, southwestern Inner Mongolia, North China, Huanghuai Region moving from west to east, with parts of Gansu, central and northern Ningxia, the Helan Mountains, northern Shaanxi, central and southern Shanxi, western Hebei, and central-western Henan experiencing thunderstorms, and locally heavy thunderstorms.