Several floods struck China starting in June 2021, most of them caused by heavy rainfalls in different areas. According to the World Meteorological Organization, such heavy rains are frequently a result of climate change.[1] The most notable floods were the 2021 Henan floods, which left 398 dead or missing.

2021 China floods
Date2021
LocationChina
Typeflooding
Deaths449
Non-fatal injuriesunknown
The damaged Songshan North Road of Zhengzhou after 2021 Henan floods

Heilongjiang

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Since mid-June, water levels of Heilongjiang and Nenjiang rivers had been rising. Heilongjiang river, also known as the Amur across the border in Russia, also flooded Russia's Amur Oblast.

As of 26 June, over 19,000 people had evacuated and 42,000 people were affected by the flooding in Daxinganling, Heihe and Mudanjiang. Thousands of hectares of crops were damaged.[2]

Chongqing

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Heavy rainfall was reported on 28 June 2021 in Chongqing municipality, forcing authorities to activate an emergency response system.[3]

From 26 to 28 August, heavy rains and floods affected Qijiang District and Hechuan District, destroying 105 houses.[4]

Guizhou

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Heavy rains causing floods led to the evacuation of 26,000 people and damaged 19,300 houses in Guizhou around 14 July 2021.[5]

Sichuan

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In July 2021, floods affected more than 220,000 people and caused an estimated 176 million yuan (US$27 million) in damage.[6] In Dazhou, thousands of people were evacuated due to floods and landslides. In Bazhong, 27,000 homes were reported to be without power.[7]

On August 9, heavy rain in Sichuan forced the evacuation of 80,000 people.[8]

Shanxi and Hebei

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On 12 July 2021, floods affected the Mount Wutai area in Xinzhou, resulting in one person dying.[9] The city of Jincheng raised its heavy rain signal to the highest level.[7]

From 2 to 8 October 2021, flooding in the province forced 120,000 people to be displaced and 60 coal mines to suspend operations.[10] Landslides and floodings killed at least 15 people in the affected areas, including Taiyuan and the counties of Jincheng and Linfen.[11] A dyke breached in a section of Fenhe River, a major tributary of the Yellow River, in Yuncheng.[12] In Pingshan county of neighboring Hebei, 14 people were killed when a bus plunged into Hutuo river from a submerged road amid heavy flooding.[13]

Inner Mongolia

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On July 19, two dams collapsed near the city of Hulunbuir, destroying bridges and farmlands. The Ministry of Water Resources said 87 millimetres (3.4 in) of rain had fallen on average in Hulunbuir over the weekend.[14]

Henan

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Since 17 July 2021, Henan was affected by severe flooding, causing by record-breaking rainfall. Zhengzhou and other cities were hit by severe floods leaving 398 people dead or missing.[15]

Shaanxi

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From 22 to 23 July 2021, heavy rains triggered floods in Luonan County, forcing the evacuation of more than 58,000 people.[16]

Since 28 August, heavy rains caused flooding in parts of Shaanxi, affecting 74 counties. In Ankang, over 23,800 people had to be relocated.[17]

Typhoon In-fa

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From July 25 to 26, rainfall and storm surge caused by Typhoon In-fa resulted in flooding in Shanghai and Jiangsu. The floods caused severe disruptions in rail, air, and shipping transportation.

Hubei

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Five cities in Hubei, including Suizhou, Xiangyang and Xiaogan, declared red alerts after torrential rain forced the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people. Yicheng received record rainfall. In Liulin township of Suizhou, 21 people were killed.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Water-related hazards dominate disasters in the past 50 years". World Meteorological Organization. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  2. ^ "China – 20,000 Evacuate Floods in Heilongjiang – FloodList". floodlist.com. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  3. ^ "China's Chongqing launches emergency flood response". Xinhua. 28 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Heavy rains, floods affect over 3,000 people in China's Chongqing". china.org.cn.
  5. ^ "Rain-triggered floods affect over 954,000 in China's Guizhou". People's Daily. 14 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Thousands displaced by floods in southwest China". SCMP. 11 July 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Thousands evacuated from floods in China's Sichuan, more rain forecast". Reuters. 11 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Heavy rain in Sichuan forces evacuation of 80,000 people - state media". Reuters. 9 August 2021.
  9. ^ "视频山西五台山景区突降大雨发生山洪 致1死3伤". Huashangwang. 12 July 2021.
  10. ^ 相镔 (9 October 2021). "Nearly 55,000 people evacuated as heavy rain lashes Shanxi". China.org.cn. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Five die in Flooding and Landslides in North China - Caixin Global".
  12. ^ "Dyke of Yellow River's tributary breached in China's Shanxi". Ecns.
  13. ^ "13 dead after bus runs off flooded bridge into river in northern China". 11 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Two dams in China's Inner Mongolia collapse after torrential rain". Reuters. 19 July 2021.
  15. ^ 国务院灾害调查组 (22 January 2022). "河南郑州"7·20"特大暴雨灾害调查报告" (PDF). Ministry of Emergency Management. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  16. ^ "Rain-triggered floods hit China's Shaanxi, affecting almost 70,000". Xinhua. 25 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Heavy rain, floods affect 113,000 people in China's Shaanxi province". www.business-standard.com. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  18. ^ "China cities declare rain 'red alerts' as flood death toll hits 21". Reuters. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2023.