10 dead, 33 missing after Yuzhong County, China, receives half a year’s rainfall in 24 hours
Flash floods in Yuzhong County, Gansu Province, China, killed at least 10 people and left 33 missing after up to half of the county’s average annual rainfall fell between August 7 and 8, 2025. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged local authorities to carry out full-scale rescue operations.
Cars getting swept away by floodwaters in Yuzhong County, Gansu Province, China on August 8, 2025. Credit: Volcaholic
Flash floods in Yuzhong County have claimed at least 10 lives and left 33 missing as of 15:30 local time (LT) on August 8.
Heavy rainfall began at around 18:00 local time on August 7, triggering flash floods across the county. More than 4 000 people from four villages were stranded in the Xinglong Mountain area as the floods disrupted power and telecommunications.
By the morning of August 8, 195 mm (7.68 inches) of rainfall was recorded in the mountainous parts of Yuzhong. This equaled roughly half of the county’s average annual rainfall of 300–400 mm (12–16 inches).
Some local reports indicate that parts of the region received over 220 mm (9 inches) of rain in 24 hours between August 7 and 8.
Awful flash flood in Yuzhong, Gansu Province, China todaypic.twitter.com/tSMTjExa3R
— Volcaholic (@volcaholic1) August 8, 2025
Yuzhong County, Gansu Province, which has an average annual rainfall of only 240 mm, received 220 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours. Severe mountain torrents broke into villages and towns, causing 10 deaths and 33 people missing. Rescue work is still underway. pic.twitter.com/Q0HQAF767G
— Jim (@yangyubin1998) August 8, 2025
Three people were reported missing after a landslide occurred in Maliantan village, in the mountainous areas near Lanzhou, on August 7.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged full-scale rescue efforts in the county. The local government activated a Level-1 emergency response, and the National Development and Reform Commission allocated 100 million yuan (about USD 14 million) to support the rescue operations.
Yuzhong is situated on one of the world’s largest loess plateaus, amidst gullies and hills of wind-blown silt. This location makes it susceptible to flash floods and landslides, as the loose soil structure becomes unstable when saturated with water.
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.
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