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When half a year’s rainfall falls in 24 hours: Yuzhong County, central China

Chris Godwin

Yuzhong County, located in China’s Gansu Province, has been reeling from severe flash flooding and mountain torrents that struck on Thursday 7 August. The latest in a number of devastating floods in China over the last two months.

In the past two months, China has faced ten major flooding incidents across various regions, driven by a powerful East Asian monsoon and typhoon activity. These events have caused extensive damage, loss of life, and significant disruption to daily existance. The floods in Beijing and Hebei Province alone resulted in 34 fatalities.

The latest flooding event in Yuzhong County began after torrential rains which commenced at around 18:00 local time on 7 August battered Yuzhong County. By the morning of 8 August, a total of 195 mm of rainfall was recorded in the mountainous parts of Yuzhong. This equalled roughly half of the county’s average annual rainfall of 300–400 mm. This extreme precipitation triggered flash floods and landslides, particularly affecting eight townships near the Xinglong Mountain National Natural Reserve. It is believed that the broader area received 220 mm of rainfall over a 2 day period.

Yuzhong lies on the Loess Plateau, characterized by loose, wind-blown silt. When saturated, this soil becomes highly unstable, triggering flash floods and landslides. The region’s gullies and hills exacerbate runoff, amplifying the destructive potential of such intense rain as experienced.

By late on Saturday 9 August, authorities confirmed 17 deaths, with ongoing searches for 30 missing individuals. Over 4,000 residents across four villages were stranded, and nearly 10,000 people were evacuated to 54 hotels and 14 temporary shelters set up in local schools and village committees. Infrastructure damage was extensive, with roads, power lines, and telecommunications severed. The S104 provincial highway, a critical link to Mapo Township, was heavily damaged, and a landslide in Maliantan village left three people unaccounted for.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an all-out rescue effort in Yuzhong County. The local government initiated a Level-1 emergency response, and the National Development and Reform Commission provided 100 million yuan (approximately US$ 14 million) to fund rescue operations. At the time of writing over 840 personnel, 136 vehicles, 16 boats have been deployed along with excavators and dump trucks. In addition 9 sniffer dogs are involved the in rescue mission.

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