Cars Swept Away as Floodwaters Turn Northern China’s Streets Into Rivers
Powerful floods have swept across parts of northern China after Typhoon Bavi unleashed days of torrential rain, leaving roads submerged, vehicles carried away by strong currents and thousands of residents cut off from their communities.
Hebei and Liaoning provinces were among the hardest-hit areas, where overflowing rivers and relentless rainfall inundated neighbourhoods and major roads.
In Kuancheng County, Hebei, floodwaters reportedly rose above two metres, stranding about 1,800 villagers as emergency teams worked to move residents to safer locations.
Videos shared on Chinese social media captured dramatic scenes of cars floating through flooded streets before crashing into one another and disappearing into fast-moving waters.
In Shenyang, residents were seen swimming and paddleboarding through submerged roads, where only the roofs of parked vehicles remained visible.
The flooding followed the passage of Typhoon Bavi, the strongest storm to strike mainland China this year.
After battering the country’s eastern coast with destructive winds and heavy rain, the system pushed inland, worsening conditions in provinces already saturated by earlier downpours.
Authorities warned that fresh rainfall could further increase flood risks across Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.
Liaoning activated its highest-level flash flood alert, while Hebei officials ordered work stoppages, business closures and the suspension of public gatherings during the red weather warning.
The severe weather has also disrupted transportation and education. Train services on more than 30 railway sections in Shenyang were suspended, while schools in several affected areas, including Jilin Province, were temporarily closed.
China’s Central Meteorological Observatory warned that thunderstorms, hail and damaging winds could continue in parts of the country, with some areas expected to experience gusts exceeding 117 kilometres per hour.
Forecasters also cautioned that isolated tornadoes remain possible in parts of Jiangsu Province.
Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Water Resources said 46 rivers nationwide are flowing above official warning levels, as authorities continue rescue operations and monitor the evolving flood emergency.
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