Aerial view of Rongjiang county in Southwest China’s Guizhou Province submerged in floodwaters on June 28, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

After being struck by two rounds of heavy flooding within a week which prompted the evacuation of some 90,000 residents and led to six deaths, the flood-stricken riverside county of Rongjiang in Southwest China’s Guizhou Province announced on Sunday the end of the heavy rainfall process and terminated the highest-level emergency flood response, with efforts shifting to the post-disaster relief. 

According to a statement released on Sunday by the flood control and drought relief headquarters of the county, which is located at the confluence of three rivers and home to more than 380,000 residents, the heavy rainfall ended on Saturday and the flood situation across all rivers, lakes and reservoirs in the county has stabilized. The headquarters decided to end the Level I emergency flood response at 10 am on Sunday and transferred to regular flood prevention operations according to the local flood control and drought relief emergency response plan. 

After the floodwaters receded, rescue teams from across the country immediately began debris removal and clearing operations. Faced with large amounts of waste, various forces urgently dispatched a significant number of excavators, loaders and other heavy machinery to help accelerate the reconstruction of the county, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday. 

More than 70 pieces of heavy machinery urgently mobilized by the provincial authorities were sent to the county overnight and will be allocated according to the needs of each area to speed up post-disaster reconstruction process. 

Home to one of China’s most prominent grassroots football events, the Village Super League, also known as Cunchao, Rongjiang county was hit by the first heavy flooding on Tuesday morning, and the iconic football field of Cunchao was entirely submerged under the floodwaters within just 10 minutes. When the floodwaters receded on Thursday, the accumulated silt had reached a depth of 60 centimeters, according to CCTV. 

The traces of mud on the large screen at the football field, marking the highest level of 5 meters reached by the floodwaters at the time, remain clearly visible. The artificial turf of the football field only had some remnants left. 

The public security bureau of Rongjiang county on Sunday issued a notice regarding the post-disaster debris removal and clearing operations, prohibiting all private vehicles entering the core emergency rescue and disaster relief area and urging all the vehicles parking on the main and secondary roads to be removed, in order to free up road space for debris removal vehicles, reduce congestion, and ensure that the debris removal work can proceed smoothly and be completed as soon as possible. 

On Saturday, the flood control and drought relief headquarters of the Rongjiang county issued a notice, upgrading the emergency response to Level I, in response to a second flood within the week. As of 6:00 pm on Saturday, more than 8,000 local officials from Rongjiang had organized the evacuation and relocation of a total of 41,574 residents from 11,992 households, according to CCTV. 

In Yangjiawan, a village located across from Rongjiang county and connected with the township with a floating bridge, became an isolated island after the bridge was submerged beneath the floodwaters. More than 600 residents on the island have been cut off from daily supplies, CCTV reported on Sunday. 

The rescue forces have deployed three drones to transport supplies to residents. Each drone with a load capacity of 80 kilograms can make round trips every five minutes to make the delivery, ensuring the residents’ daily needs. 

Pan Siwei, an official and a Party member from the People’s Government of Rongjiang County, told the Global Times on Sunday that the floodwaters have receded and the post-disaster recovery will focus on debris removal and clearing operations, which will be followed by disinfection. With local residents working alongside rescue teams, the county has reached its full capacity in accommodating rescue personnel. 

However, Pan also noted that the county is now in urgent need of various supplies including generators, water pumps (including fire hoses), disinfection tools (such as sprayers), summer quilts, folding beds, reusable raincoats, rain boots, mosquito coils, wash basins, army cots, bedding sets, and herbal remedies.

In response to the severe flooding in Guizhou, central authorities on Saturday elevated the national disaster relief emergency response to Level III and dispatched a task force to assess the situation in the flood-stricken area, directing and assisting local authorities in disaster relief efforts. The central authorities have also allocated 15,000 relief items – including folding beds, summer quilts, and emergency family kits – to support emergency relocation and basic livelihood needs.