Severe rainfall and flooding in Beijing and nearby Hebei province have led to the deaths of more than 30 people and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands, according to Chinese state media.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that by midnight on Monday, 28 people had died in Miyun district and two more in Yanqing district, both located on the outskirts of Beijing. In Hebei province, a landslide on Monday claimed four lives, while eight individuals remained missing.
The torrential rain began over the weekend and became heavier by Monday, affecting Beijing and nearby regions. Some areas in northern Beijing received up to 543.4mm of rain, according to Xinhua News Agency.
In response, over 80,000 residents were relocated in Beijing alone. The rain caused serious damage to roads, power lines, and communication systems. As of Monday midnight, 136 villages were without electricity.
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Late Monday, President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to conduct “all-out” search and rescue operations to reduce casualties as much as possible.
Officials in Beijing raised the city’s highest-level flood and rain alerts, urging residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary movement.
The Miyun Reservoir, holding its highest water level since its construction in 1959, began releasing water to avoid overflow. Authorities warned people downstream to stay clear of rivers as water levels rose, with more rain still expected.
In Miyun, floods washed away cars and knocked down utility poles. Nearby towns like Taishitun, about 100 kilometers northeast of central Beijing, saw streets filled with muddy water and fallen trees.
Zhuang Zhelin, a local resident in Taishitun, described how fast the water came rushing into his neighborhood. “The flood came rushing in, just like that, so fast and suddenly. In no time at all, the place was filling up,” he said while clearing mud from his family’s building materials shop.
On Monday night, Beijing officials launched a top-level emergency response, which included:
Closure of schools
Halting of construction work
Suspension of tourism and outdoor activities
The heaviest rain was expected early Tuesday, with forecasts predicting up to 30cm of rainfall in certain parts of the city.
China’s central government announced a relief package of 50 million yuan (around $7 million) for Hebei. It also sent a high-level emergency response team to support local efforts.
Experts have linked this kind of extreme weather to human-driven climate change. Scientists note that many recent severe disasters — from floods to wildfires — have been intensified by global warming, and some would have been nearly impossible without it.
