Beijing Evacuates Over 80,000 Residents Due to Torrential Rainfall: State Media

Chinese authorities have evacuated more than 82,000 individuals from flood-prone areas in Beijing, following fatal floods that struck the capital’s suburbs the previous week, state media reported.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, tens of thousands were relocated from high-risk zones by 9:00 pm (1300 GMT) on Monday, in an operation coordinated by the Beijing Municipal Flood Control Headquarters.

Areas Under Immediate Flood Threat

Authorities highlighted the northwestern district of Miyun—the area hardest hit by last week’s torrential downpours—as a zone of urgent concern. Additional flood warnings were issued for the following areas:

The Beijing Meteorological Bureau declared a red alert, the highest on the nation’s four-tier weather warning scale, with predictions of intense rainfall continuing from Monday noon through to Tuesday morning.

Casualties and Criticism

Last week’s floods in Beijing’s northern suburbs resulted in at least 44 confirmed fatalities, with nine individuals still unaccounted for, according to government statistics. A significant proportion of these deaths—31 in total—occurred at a care home for the elderly in Miyun, raising questions about emergency preparedness.

In the wake of the tragedy, a local official publicly acknowledged shortfalls in the disaster response system, referring to them as “gaps” in readiness.

“We were overwhelmed. The water came with such speed that no one expected it,”
– Testimony from a local resident to AFP

Broader Environmental Context

Floods and other natural disasters are a recurring challenge across China, especially during the summer months. While some areas are deluged by heavy rains, others suffer from oppressive heatwaves.

China, which is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, continues to grapple with the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, widely attributed to climate change. Nonetheless, the country is also a global leader in renewable energy and has pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.