Floods Swamp Central China as Residents Question Drainage Systems and Reservoir Releases

A large-scale rain system was continuing across southern China, and the Guangxi region was jolted by a 5.2 quake.

A car is stranded on a flooded street following heavy rains in Changsha in central China's Hunan province on June 24, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

Heavy rain battered several provinces in central and southern China over the weekend, submerging streets, disrupting transportation, forcing emergency transfers, and prompting residents to question local drainage systems and public information about reservoir releases.

The storms hit as China’s central weather authorities warned that a large-scale rain system was continuing across southern China. State media Xinhua reported that from 8 a.m. on May 17 to 8 a.m. on May 18, 628 weather stations nationwide recorded heavy rainstorms, while 40 stations recorded extreme rainstorms. Central Meteorological Observatory officials said parts of Shandong, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and Guangdong were expected to see heavy rain from late May 18 through May 19.

Jingzhou Shuts Down

Local media Hubei Daily reported that Jingzhou, a city in Hubei Province, activated an emergency response for urban flooding on May 18 and ordered the central urban area to impose what local authorities called the “Five Stops”—suspending work, production, business operations, transportation, and classes.