A Deluge of Troubles: Over 80,000 People Evacuated Across China Due to Severe Flooding
Tens of Thousands Flee China Due to Persistent Flooding - More than 80,000 residents forced to leave their homes in China due to severe flooding
Getting drenched in a downpour might be fun, but facing floods that swallow football fields? Not so much! In the district of Rongjiang, a depressing sight unfolded as a football field submerged under three meters of water, according to Xinhua. Resident Long Tian shared his harrowing experience with state media, "The water rose quickly. I stayed on the third floor waiting for help. In the afternoon, I was taken to a safe location," he revealed.
State broadcaster CCTV captured distressing images of heavily flooded villages and a collapsed bridge in a mountainous region of the province. Rescue workers bravely navigated the muddy waters with boats carrying frightened residents. At a kindergarten, little ones waded up to their knees in water, anxiously awaiting the arrival of rescue workers. The floods took a toll on the neighboring province of Guangxi as well.
China has faced an onslaught of extreme weather events recently. Last week alone, tens of thousands were evacuated due to heavy rains in the province of Hunan.
A recent surge in severe weather events has China reeling. In early June 2025, northern China endured a sudden and violent storm that brought hurricane-force winds, torrential rain, intense lightning, and hailstorms, leaving city landscapes battered, with uprooted trees and damaged infrastructure. In coastal areas, wind gusts reached Category 15, akin to the force of a violent storm at sea.
Further south, prolonged flooding compelled over 80,000 people to evacuate, with heavy rains ravaging provinces like Hunan and Guangxi. The flooding led to infrastructure collapses, such as bridges toppling right in front of residents, creating dangerous safety hazards. Tropical Cyclone Wutip added to the distress, displacing nearly 70,000 people due to flooding in southern China.
Capital region Beijing also faced extreme heat, reaching the second-hottest temperatures recorded so far this year, aligning with a trend of rising temperatures: 2024 marked the warmest year on record in China.
In response to these events, China acknowledges the role of climate change in exacerbating extreme weather. The country is the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter but is advancing toward renewable energy solutions and has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2060. To manage these extreme events, China relies on advanced meteorological satellite systems like the FENGYUN series, which help provide crucial monitoring and early warnings, boosting disaster preparedness and response efforts. These systems are part of China's support for global early warning efforts led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
In conclusion, a series of extreme weather events, including violent storms, heavy flooding, and record-breaking heatwaves, have left their mark across China, causing widespread human and infrastructural chaos. These events underline the vulnerability of diverse regions to climate-driven weather extremes and the importance of early warning and mitigation systems in minimizing their impacts.
- The severe flooding in China has prompted researchers in environmental-science to study the impact of climate-change on the country's weather patterns, as the frequency of extreme events like these increases.
- As the flooding continues to ravage regions like Guizhou, sports like football might find new ways to adapt to the changed environment, much like how certain species adapt to their surroundings in the face of climate change.
- Meanwhile, the Chinese government is investing in science and technology, particularly in the development of advanced meteorological satellite systems, to better understand and predict extreme weather events, which can help in reducing the casualties in situations such as the current floods.
