BEIJING – A relentless and historic downpour has battered China's capital, Beijing, and its surrounding regions, forcing the emergency evacuation of more than 80,000 residents as of Wednesday morning. The prolonged torrential rain has triggered widespread, severe flooding, paralyzing transportation, inundating homes, and turning streets into raging rivers.
Vast swaths of the city's western and northern suburbs, particularly in the mountainous districts of Mentougou and Fangshan, are among the hardest-hit areas. Dramatic footage circulating on state media and social networks shows vehicles being swept away by powerful currents, bridges partially collapsing, and rescue workers navigating chest-deep water to reach stranded residents.
Chinese authorities have issued a "red alert," the highest level in their four-tier weather warning system, as the city experiences one of its most extreme weather events in recent memory. The rainfall, which meteorologists attribute to the remnants of a recent typhoon, has shattered historical records for the region. In some areas, the amount of rain that fell in just 48 hours has exceeded the average for the entire month of August.
The government has launched a massive emergency response. Thousands of rescue personnel, including firefighters, police, and soldiers from the People's Liberation Army, have been deployed to conduct search and rescue operations, reinforce riverbanks, and manage the evacuation to temporary shelters set up in schools and public gymnasiums.
The impact on the sprawling metropolis of over 21 million people has been profound. Hundreds of roads are closed, scores of flights at both of Beijing's international airports have been canceled or delayed, and multiple sections of the city's extensive subway system have been suspended due to waterlogging. Power outages have been reported in several affected districts, further complicating relief efforts.
"I've lived here for 30 years and have never seen anything like this," one evacuated resident told state broadcaster CCTV. "The water rose so quickly. We just grabbed what we could and left."
The crisis extends beyond the capital, with the neighboring province of Hebei also on high alert as rivers and reservoirs swell to dangerous levels. Forecasters have warned that while the heaviest downpours may have passed, the risk of flash floods, mudslides, and other secondary disasters remains extremely high. The immediate focus remains on ensuring the safety of residents, with a full assessment of the extensive damage to infrastructure and property expected to take days, if not weeks.
