Fuping County Suffers Severe Flooding and Displacement

Hebei Province in North China experienced record-breaking heavy rainfall between Friday morning and Saturday morning. The Hebei Meteorological Observatory reported unevenly distributed rainfall across the province. Fuping County recorded the highest 24-hour precipitation, reaching a maximum of 375.2 mm.

CCTV News reported that a new local single-hour rainfall record was also set. Monitoring stations indicated extreme rainstorms at eight locations and heavy rainstorms at 49 others. The Fuping station in Baoding recorded the highest precipitation, classified as an extreme rainstorm.

The hourly rainfall between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Friday reached 115.4 mm, surpassing the previous local single-hour precipitation record. The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) noted that heavy rainfall affected northern and northeastern China, with scattered downpours in the east and southwest.

The CMA forecasts continued heavy rainfall in northern North China, Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, and surrounding regions over the next three days. These areas are expected to experience heavy rainfall, along with potential brief downpours, thunderstorms, gales, or hail. Authorities have issued warnings regarding potential risks such as flash floods, landslides, and flooding in smaller rivers.

The Office of Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters in Fuping County, Baoding City, reported an exceptionally intense rainstorm from Friday evening to Saturday morning. The average precipitation across the county reached 234 mm, with the Xizhuang Station recording the highest rainfall at 540 mm. The maximum hourly rainfall intensity reached 145 mm/h, breaking historical records. The brief but intense downpour caused significant damage. Preliminary statistics indicate that the torrential rain affected 46,235 residents across five townships, with 4,655 people from 1,289 households relocated for safety.