China Flood: Rivers Overflow, Streets Collapse, Thousands Flee Floodwaters in Ganzhou, Jiangxi.

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:15]Jiangxi, China - May 16, 2026.

[00:00:19]China faces major flooding in Jiangxi: Hydropower dams release water, rivers overflow their banks, and thousands evacuate overnight in Ganzhou.

[00:00:35]From the evening of May 15 to the morning of May 16, 2026, extremely heavy rainfall poured across southern Jiangxi Province, China.

[00:00:45]Rivers rose rapidly, streets turned into waterways, many low-lying residential areas became isolated, and transportation systems in multiple locations were paralyzed, especially in Ganzhou City and surrounding districts and counties.

[00:01:03]Shangyou County alone recorded rainfall of up to 237 millimeters at the Meishuiyangtian monitoring station in less than 24 hours, equal to nearly 9.3 inches of rainwater.

[00:01:18]Dozens of other monitoring stations across Ganzhou also reported widespread heavy rain and torrential downpours.

[00:01:26]Local authorities continuously issued red alerts for heavy rain, flash floods, and geological disaster risks as conditions remained highly dangerous and unpredictable.

[00:01:54]Footage from the affected areas revealed the severe scale of this flooding disaster.

[00:01:59]At multiple upstream reservoirs, massive volumes of water surged in, forcing authorities to open several floodgates at the same time.

[00:02:09]In video recorded during the early morning hours of May 16, muddy brown water rushed through the dam systems at tremendous speed, creating huge waves below the dam walls.

[00:02:22]Some local residents said they understood that releasing floodwater was necessary to protect the reservoirs, but they also admitted that downstream communities had almost no time to prepare before water levels suddenly rose.

[00:02:37]A shop owner in Ganzhou said, At first it was only normal heavy rain, but after the dams started releasing water, the water level on the streets rose very quickly.

[00:02:58]In many videos spreading across Chinese social media, residents recorded floodwaters surging across major avenues, sweeping away vehicles, submerging bus stations, and pouring into public markets.

[00:03:13]In some areas along the Zhangjiang River, water levels were forecast to rise about 2.6 feet above warning level within 12 hours, forcing many families to evacuate urgently during the night.

[00:03:28]What especially worried local residents was that many upstream reservoirs and dams had to open additional floodgates to reduce pressure after hours of continuous rainfall.

[00:03:40]Although this was a necessary measure to prevent reservoir failures, the enormous volume of discharged water caused many downstream areas to become deeply flooded  within a very short period of time.

[00:04:03]In many parts of Ganzhou, floodwaters did not only appear near rivers but also surged backward into central city streets.

[00:04:12]Another video showed an entire wide roadway transformed into a muddy river.

[00:04:18]Fast-moving water completely covered the surface below, making it impossible for pedestrians and drivers to recognize collapsed sections or dangerous deep holes.

[00:04:28]In the middle of the powerful current, a young man risked his life by running into the flooded street to place warning signs for vehicles approaching from behind.

[00:04:39]His actions quickly attracted attention across Chinese social media.

[00:04:44]Everyone knew it could be extremely dangerous if a vehicle drove into that area, one witness said.

[00:04:50]Nobody asked him to do it, but without those warning signs, an accident could have happened.

[00:05:06]On the morning of May 16, conditions along the rivers in Jiangxi became even more alarming.

[00:05:12]Water levels on the Zhangjiang River and many smaller tributaries rose rapidly after heavy upstream rainfall.

[00:05:20]The Ganjiang River Upstream Water Resources and Hydrology Monitoring Center issued a flood warning for Zhanggong District, forecasting that water levels would exceed warning thresholds within half a day.

[00:05:35]Several embankment sections along riverside areas were overtopped by floodwater, placing hundreds of villages at risk of severe flooding.

[00:05:44]Rescue teams began going door to door through residential neighborhoods to announce evacuation orders, especially in low-lying riverside and mountain foothill areas where the risk of flash floods and landslides continued increasing.

[00:06:08]According to local authorities, emergency forces were deployed to multiple areas to assist in evacuating trapped residents.

[00:06:16]Several mountain roads were blocked by landslides, disrupting access and forcing rescue teams to use boats and specialized vehicles.

[00:06:26]A resident living near the riverside area in Ganzhou said, Around midnight, we heard warning loudspeakers telling us to prepare for evacuation.

[00:06:36]Just a few hours later, water had already entered the ground floor.

[00:06:40]Everything happened so fast.

[00:06:42]We barely had time to take our belongings.

[00:06:45]According to local rescue agencies, firefighters, transportation teams, and local government personnel worked throughout the night to relocate trapped residents, clear fallen trees, manage landslides, and control dangerous roads.

[00:07:02]However, with heavy rain continuing across many areas including Ganzhou, Dayu, Chongyi, Nankang, and Shangyou, the risk of expanding floods could still not be ruled out.

[00:07:30]Not only rural areas were affected, but many streets in central Ganzhou also experienced severe flooding.

[00:07:38]In another video, floodwaters rushed through major intersections, carrying away trash bins, motorcycles, and household belongings.

[00:07:47]Numerous cars were submerged up to their windows, while some vehicles were pushed away from parking spots by the current.

[00:07:55]At bus stations, water rose above waiting benches, showing that flood levels had climbed far higher than during ordinary flooding events.

[00:08:05]A local taxi driver said he was forced to abandon his vehicle after water flooded the engine in the middle of the road.

[00:08:12]In only about 20 minutes, the water rose from ankle level to nearly reaching the car doors, he said.

[00:08:20]Many people tried driving through, but their vehicles eventually stalled.

[00:08:34]In public markets and small shopping centers, daily life was almost completely disrupted.

[00:08:40]Vendors used plastic containers, wooden pallets, and chairs to lift food supplies higher to prevent them from being swept away by floodwater.

[00:08:50]Many shops closed early in the morning as water began entering inside.

[00:08:56]In one market in Ganzhou, residents stood in muddy water while moving boxes of vegetables, bags of rice, and dry food supplies to higher floors.

[00:09:06]Some vendors used small pumps to remove water, but the efforts had very limited effect as rain continued pouring down.

[00:09:14]Everything is already soaked, one food seller said while cleaning the shop.

[00:09:20]We are only trying to save whatever we can.

[00:09:24]In low-lying residential areas, many families continuously bailed water out of their homes.

[00:09:30]Furniture, electrical appliances, and household belongings remained submerged for hours.

[00:09:37]On floors covered with mud, residents tried gathering whatever items could still be used.

[00:09:44]A woman living in Nankang District said her family lost almost everything on the ground floor after the flooding.

[00:09:51]The refrigerator, washing machine, tables, and chairs are all ruined, she said.

[00:09:57]The hardest part is that we do not know how much longer the rain will continue.

[00:10:17]According to weather forecasts, the influence of a high-pressure trough combined with southeasterly winds will continue bringing moderate to heavy rainfall to many parts of Ganzhou during May 16 and the following hours.

[00:10:32]Authorities warned of additional risks of flash floods, landslides, and urban flooding if rainfall continues.

[00:10:39]This rain event also revealed how vulnerable many urban and rural areas in southern China remain.

[00:10:47]In recent years, many southern provinces in China have repeatedly experienced extreme rainfall events, placing enormous pressure on reservoir systems, river embankments, and drainage infrastructure.