Jialu River Levee Breach in Henan Forces 781 Evacuations

A levee breach along the Jialu River in Zhoukou City, Henan Province, has forced the evacuation of 781 residents, with emergency crews working around the clock to seal the gap amid severe flooding triggered by the remnants of Typhoon White Dolphin. No casualties have been reported, according to the Henan Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The breach, approximately 30 meters wide, occurred around 11 PM on August 13 on the east bank levee of the Jialu River beneath the Xinbei Ring Bridge in Zhoukou’s Chuanhui District. The failure resulted from a combination of upstream flow from the Jialu River and backflow pressure from the Shaying River, which was experiencing record flood levels.

A Region Under Water Stress

Zhoukou’s Chuanhui District sits at the confluence of three rivers — the Sha, Ying, and Jialu — making flood control and rescue operations extremely challenging, as Jiemian News noted in its analysis of the crisis. The Jialu River, a 256-kilometer tributary of the Shaying River, flows through Zhengzhou and several other cities before joining the Shaying in Zhoukou.

The breach is the latest in a cascade of flood-related emergencies across Henan triggered by Typhoon White Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of 2026. Though the storm stopped being numbered on August 11, its residual circulation combined with cold air to produce widespread, persistent heavy rainfall across the province. From August 11, cities in the Shaying River basin — including Pingdingshan, Xuchang, Luohe, and Zhoukou — became the epicenter of the deluge, with maximum point rainfall exceeding 500 millimeters in just 30 hours.

The Shaying River experienced its first numbered flood of 2026 on August 12, when water levels at the Zhoukou hydrological station reached the warning threshold of 46.10 meters. The Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood defense emergency response for Anhui and Henan provinces and dispatched six working groups to assist at the flood defense frontline.

Emergency Response Underway

At the Jialu River breach site, an on-site command center is coordinating emergency operations. Based on expert assessment, workers are operating from both ends of the breach simultaneously, using shipping containers to stabilize the levee base and filling the middle with rock materials to seal the gap. Authorities are also studying diversion plans using existing channels.

Province-wide, the response has been extensive. The Henan Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a Level II flood emergency response on August 12, and the provincial meteorological station upgraded to a Red Rainstorm Warning. Multiple cities, including Zhengzhou, Pingdingshan, and Xuchang, implemented “Five Stops” or “Four Stops” measures — halting schools, businesses, construction, production, and transportation to keep residents safe, as reported by China News Service.

According to China National Radio, province-wide evacuations have reached 65,593 people across 27,191 households, with 332 resettlement sites activated. More than 58,000 personnel are on emergency duty, and 159 rescue teams with 5,402 personnel have been pre-positioned. The central government has dispatched 20,000 disaster relief items, including folding beds, mattresses, blankets, and family emergency kits.

A Rare Activation Signals Severity

In a sign of the flood’s severity, authorities activated the Nihewa flood detention area in Wuyang County, Luohe City, at 2 AM on August 13. One of only 98 national flood detention areas, Nihewa is rarely used — its activation indicates that upstream water levels have far exceeded the river system’s safe discharge capacity, as Jiemian News reported. By 7 PM on August 13, the detention area had received approximately 140 million cubic meters of floodwater, covering about 65 square kilometers.

Before the activation, more than 4,500 residents from 10 villages across two townships were evacuated from the detention area, with vulnerable residents — including the elderly, sick, and disabled — moved first. In one case, an 83-year-old bedridden woman was transported by ambulance to a township health center after village officials coordinated emergency medical evacuation.

The Jialu River breach follows another levee failure earlier in the week. On the night of August 12, a 40-meter-wide breach occurred on a civilian levee at the North Ru River section in Changqiao Town, Jia County, Pingdingshan City. By 3 AM on August 13, 2,182 residents had been evacuated in two batches, with no casualties reported. Due to the narrow levee, large machinery could not access the site, so personnel formed human chains to transport sand and gravel, and 10 drones were deployed to airlift materials.

Historical Echoes and Forward Look

The current crisis evokes memories of the devastating July 2021 Henan floods, when record rainfall caused multiple levee breaches along the Jialu River. In 2021, over 260,000 residents were evacuated in Fugou County alone. The Ministry of Water Resources has emphasized the need to prevent complacency, calling for intensified monitoring, early warning systems, and coordinated reservoir operations.

As floodwaters gradually recede in some areas, the immediate priority remains sealing the Jialu River breach and ensuring the safety of evacuated residents. The Xinhua News Agency reported that evacuated villagers have been settled in school-based shelters with food, bedding, and medical care provided. “Although it’s not home, I feel at ease staying here,” one evacuated villager told reporters.

With the flood crisis still unfolding, authorities continue to monitor river levels and weather forecasts closely. The coming days will determine whether the levee sealing operations succeed and whether further evacuations become necessary as the Shaying River system continues to carry the weight of one of the most significant flood events in recent years.