Photo: AFP
Shanghai: Heavy rain hit China’s southwestern Guizhou province again on Saturday, causing the already flood-affected city of Rongjiang to be submerged for the second time this week and forcing residents to evacuate to higher ground.
Rongjiang, a city of 300,000 located where three rivers meet, had already been overwhelmed earlier in the week by record rainfall that killed six people and displaced over 80,000. The 72-hour rainfall total was twice the city's average for June.
In response to the renewed flooding, officials elevated the flood emergency alert to its highest level on Saturday. According to state broadcaster CCTV, a key hydrological station predicted water levels would peak at 253.50 meters (832 feet) around 5 p.m. (0900 GMT), surpassing the safe limit by 2 meters, Reuters reported.
Earlier this week, water levels in Rongjiang surged to 256.7 meters—the highest recorded since 1954—according to a Friday statement from the Guizhou provincial government to Reuters. Officials attributed the severe flooding to “extreme climate” conditions.
The flooding in southwest China is expected to significantly impact local economies. Rongjiang, which was removed from China’s national poverty list in 2020, experienced a surprising economic boost from tourism after a grassroots soccer league, dubbed the “Village Super League,” went viral on social media.
Thousands of visitors flocked to the city, but by Tuesday, the soccer field was submerged under seven meters of water.
China has long faced summer floods, but scientists warn that climate change is causing rainfall to become more intense and frequent. Authorities have expressed concern that such extreme weather could trigger unexpected “black swan” events—rare but catastrophic incidents—like dam failures.
Over the past two days, heavy rains have caused 13 major rivers in southern provinces including Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and Hainan to swell beyond their warning levels, according to state broadcaster CCTV, citing the Ministry of Water Resources.