Flash floods and mudflows claimed 7 lives in China’s Hunan province, 3 people remain missing

Central China’s Hunan Province faces a devastating aftermath as flash floods and mudflows, triggered by relentless rains, claim seven lives and leave three missing, according to local authorities on July 30, 2024. The severe weather has caused widespread damage, disrupting communications and displacing thousands of residents.

Flash floods and mudflows triggered by intense rains in central China’s Hunan Province claimed seven lives, with three people remaining missing, local authorities said on July 30, 2024.

Three deaths occurred in Yongxing County in Chenzhou City, while four deaths and three missing persons were reported across four villages in the city of Zixing.

Zixing has experienced record precipitation since July 26, with one location recording over 645 mm (25.4 inches) of rain in just 24 hours. The rain has toppled or damaged the homes of 867 households and caused 1 345 road cave-ins. Officials said communications with many villages were disrupted, hindering timely updates on the situation.

More than 5 400 rescuers have been deployed by the city, and 11 379 people have been evacuated for safety, according to the city’s flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Volunteers were seen loading bottled water, rice, and cooking oil onto a helicopter parked on the sports ground of Zixing No. 1 Middle School on July 30.

Helicopters have been taking off from the school to air-drop supplies to disaster-hit areas where rain-triggered landslides have disrupted road traffic and telecommunications since July 29.

As of 08:00 local time (LT) on July 30, helicopters have made 101 trips to evacuate residents and deliver 20.9 tonnes of materials to 28 villages in Zixing, according to the headquarters.

Heavy rainstorms in the aftermath of Typhoon Gaemi have wreaked havoc across Hunan.

Three dike breaches occurred in the Juanshui River in the past few days, prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents in Xiangtan County.

On July 28, a devastating landslide caused by the remnants of Gaemi claimed 15 lives and caused 6 injuries in Yuelin Village in China’s Hunan Province after about 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rain fell over the region within 24 hours.

More than 20 counties and cities in Hunan broke rainfall records on July 28, with as much as 679 mm (26.7 inches) of rainfall recorded in just 24 hours.

More than 46 000 residents in northeastern China’s Liaoning Province were evacuated as of July 28, when heavy rains caused a significant rise in water levels across 40 reservoirs.

References:

¹ Update: At least 7 dead after heavy rain in central China – Xinhua – July 30, 2024

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

• Rishav Kothari

  Spain records deadliest May for heat-related deaths since monitoring began in 2015
• Rishav Kothari

  Tropical Storm Amanda forms as the first named storm of the 2026 eastern Pacific hurricane season
• Rishav Kothari

  Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi leaves 23 injured, 60 000 without power after landfall in Wakayama, Japan
• Rishav Kothari

  Tornadoes touch down near Bridgewater, Wall Lake, and Centerville, South Dakota