Heavy rains and flooding have struck multiple provinces in southern and central China, including Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Guizhou, Guangdong, and Hainan, causing widespread disruption and elevated disaster risks since May 17 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. At least 10 people died due to the flooding and related incidents, including six who were killed when a pickup truck carrying 15 passengers fell into a flooded river in Guangxi on May 18 [1, 2, 3]. Additional fatalities include three people killed by flash floods in a low-lying village in Hubei and one person dying in southern Hunan province [2, 3].
In Hunan's Shimen County, heavy rains triggered flooding affecting over 61,000 people, with 19,040 evacuated. Reports indicate between four and five deaths, with up to 11 people missing amid ongoing rescue efforts [4, 5]. Authorities in the region have suspended schools, businesses, and transport services. Tourist sites and outdoor classes were closed as emergency teams continue search and rescue operations in flooded areas like Jingzhou, Hubei [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
On May 18, alongside flooding, Guangxi experienced a magnitude 5.2 earthquake that killed two people and forced the evacuation of more than 7,000 residents. Temporary shelters were set up for over 4,000 people affected by the seismic event [1, 2].
Meteorologists attribute the intense rainfall to a slow-moving weather system drawing moisture from the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea, and Pacific Ocean [2, 3]. In Yichang, Hubei, daily rainfall over the weekend of May 16-17 broke a 36-year record [1]. More than 337 townships in Hubei recorded rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters within 48 hours, worsening flood risks [3].
The China Meteorological Administration and National Meteorological Centre warned that severe weather will continue moving east and south, with the heaviest rain expected along the middle and lower Yangtze River from today onward [1, 2, 3]. The China emergency management ministry reiterated a "People first and life first" approach amid ongoing relief efforts [1].
