Heavy Rain Pounds Mountainous Western Henan Province
Downpour Reaches Up to 99.8 mm Per Hour, Totaling 225.3 mm
A record-breaking rainstorm has caused many residents to go missing in the mountainous western region of Henan Province, China.
According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on July 1, heavy rainfall hit Nanyang City in Henan Province from the evening of June 30 through the morning of July 1, resulting in many residents going missing.
A massive rainstorm caused many residents to go missing in Henan Province, China. Official Weibo of the Chinese Fire and Rescue Team.
According to the Henan Provincial Meteorological Authority, some areas of Henan experienced rainfall of up to 99.8 mm per hour, with a total of 225.3 mm, causing the water level of the Sheweihe River, located downstream, to rise rapidly.
As a result, by the afternoon of July 1, a total of five people had died and three were reported missing. Two people were rescued. The emergency command center told CCTV that "over 800 rescue personnel have been deployed to the flooded area to search for the missing along the river," adding, "The mountainous terrain and swift currents are making search operations extremely difficult."
A massive rainstorm caused many residents to go missing in Henan Province, China. Official Weibo of the Chinese Fire and Rescue Team.
Firefighters searching the area in Henan Province, China, where a record-breaking heavy rain caused many residents to go missing. Official Weibo of the Chinese Fire Rescue Team.
After the incident, Xixia County established a command center and deployed more than 800 personnel?including public security officers, firefighters, emergency responders, township and village officials, and social rescue teams?for rescue operations. More than 10 emergency vehicles, over 30 various rescue vehicles, and 13 drones were mobilized to restore infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and communications, as well as to search for and rescue the missing.
According to reports, the affected area includes Lao Jieling, a well-known tourist destination. Due to the heavy rain, roads were temporarily cut off, leaving dozens of tourists stranded. The government carried out emergency repairs to restore the roads to a condition where they could be traversed on foot. An official told CCTV on July 1, "Vehicle access is not possible; only foot traffic is allowed." Some of the stranded tourists were able to escape on foot with the guidance of local guesthouse operators and were then transported to a government-designated safe area.
The Xixia County emergency response headquarters stated, "We are continuing additional investigations and assessments of the heavy rain, disaster, and risk factors."
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