Hebei faces severe flooding, thousands evacuated

Severe flooding across Hebei province has forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate their homes, as local officials and communities race against rising waters. In some of the hardest-hit mountainous areas, urgent rescue efforts are underway to protect residents.

In Chengde's Luanping county, one of the worst-affected areas, officials worked through the night to evacuate villages ahead of the surging waters. In Nantaizi Xigou village, residents recalled the efforts of village official Wang Zhenyu, who went door to door urging people to leave.

"His anxiety even brought him to tears," a woman said in a video interview, adding that he kept repeating, "Grandma, please go. If you stay, the flood will take you."

Thanks to efforts like Wang's, all residents were moved to safety before the worst of the storm arrived.

Relief supplies have also begun pouring in. In Longhua county, trucks loaded with daily necessities reached Zhangsanying town late Tuesday after risky journeys through damaged terrain.

"We didn't stop for food. We just wanted to get the supplies through," said Feng Hailong, head of a volunteer association in Chengde's Shuangqiao district.

"We don't expect anything in return. We just hope they can get through this difficult time safely," he said.

The heavy rainfall has caused flooding in 403 townships across 38 counties in Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Zhangjiakou, Chengde and Tangshan, affecting 356,000 people and forcing the emergency relocation of 44,000 residents as of 6 pm on Tuesday, according to the Department of Emergency Management of Hebei Province.

Authorities across the province have mobilized resources at all levels to carry out flood control measures and accelerate evacuations and aid delivery. These efforts have yielded critical breakthroughs in the hardest-hit areas, including Chengde's Luanping and Xinglong counties.

In Xinglong county's Liudaohe township, where seven villages were cut off by floods, a multi-tier emergency command deployed 524 rescue workers from national and provincial teams, according to the township's rescue and disaster relief command center.

As of Wednesday morning, communication had been restored in all seven villages, the center said. About 15,000 food parcels — including water, bread and instant noodles — have been delivered to affected areas in the township. A team of 69 medical workers and 30 disinfection teams are conducting health interventions and post-flood sanitation work.

In Nantaizi Xigou village, County Road 516 was reopened on Tuesday after repairs, allowing heavy equipment to reach the area. Residents have been evacuated from high-risk zones, and the injured are receiving treatment.

The province has also made efforts to allocate disaster relief supplies. More than 40,000 items — including quilts, overcoats, folding beds and blankets — have been distributed to disaster-hit areas in Zhangjiakou, Chengde and Baoding.

Flood response efforts continue across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, with some progress being made.

In Beijing's Huairou district, three rescue teams on Tuesday deployed drones and crewless helicopters to airdrop 1.5 tons of food and drinking water to flood-affected villages. For the first time, emergency medical supplies were also airdropped to Baihebei village, according to local authorities. On-site data collection, precision positioning, flight path planning and ground detachment helped ensure accurate drops and protected the food packaging during the operation.

In neighboring Tianjin, life is gradually returning to normal. Seven temporary relocation sites in Jizhou district were disbanded on Wednesday.

"Basic road access, water supply and electricity have all been restored," said Guo Yueqiu, an official in Xiaying town, Jizhou.

While normal life has largely resumed, work continues to repair some damaged roads. Authorities are also preparing for another round of heavy rainfall forecast from Aug 12 to 14.

Separately, 10 people have been confirmed dead as of 6 pm on Wednesday after a midsize bus went missing following days of heavy rainfall in Tianzhen county, Datong city, Shanxi province, according to a statement released by the Datong government.

On Sunday morning, a midsize bus carrying 14 people in Tianzhen was involved in an accident while traveling and then lost contact. One body was retrieved in a downstream area at 1:43 pm and was later confirmed to be one of the missing bus riders.

The rescue command center is making every effort to search for the remaining missing persons, the statement said.

Contact the writers at zhangyu1@chinadaily.com.cn