In the Henan floods, the Chinese authorities are not concerned with climate change, but control

The mayor of this flooded city arrived in the tunnel at midnight. When the workers were draining the six-lane-wide underground passage, muddy water rushed across the road. Dozens of onlookers gathered together, hoping to get a glimpse of the underwater scene. The police drove them away.

Chen Yuanqiu lives nearby. He witnessed the flood first-hand and knew that the tunnel could be blocked by hundreds of cars during peak hours. The government said only six people drowned. But rumors in the chat group indicated that the body was secretly taken out of the tunnel.

Chen, who has been watching live videos all day, is increasingly suspicious of the official statement. He has a disturbing question: how many people are trapped inside?

Residents watched the water drained from the Jingguang North Road tunnel in Zhengzhou, China.

(Liu Bowen/For the Times)

The tunnel incident underscores the tension caused by the storm that caused catastrophic flooding in central China’s Henan province last week. The ruling Communist Party did not initiate an open dialogue about climate change and whether Chinese cities are prepared for extreme weather. Instead, it restricts information and encourages nationalist celebrations during ongoing crises. The result is a sense of uneasiness, as flood survivors are forced to praise the government’s rescue efforts, while those who demand accountability are attacked.

The flood has affected According to official data, more than 13.3 million people and at least 2.4 million people have been displaced. So far, 71 people have died and 5 people are missing. According to the authorities, these included 6 bodies found in 247 cars in the tunnel and 14 bodies drowning in the Zhengzhou subway. There are dozens of missing persons compiled by grassroots volunteers.

On July 20, 2021, a catastrophic flood destroyed Mihe Town and nearby villages in Henan Province, China, and damaged a bridge across the Surabaya River.

(Liu Bowen/For the Times)

A large area north of Zhengzhou, Henan Province is underwater, and more rainfall is expected in the next few days. Many flooded villages and small towns west of Zhengzhou do not have running water, electricity or cell phone signals. A large-scale rescue work is underway, including the Chinese army and grassroots volunteers from all over the country.

At the same time, government propaganda is controlling the narrative.Chinese media have instruct According to the leak review directive issued by China Digital Times, report the recovery situation after the disaster, avoid using an overly sad tone, and abide by the official statistics on casualties and losses.

Grief has become the target of control. On Monday, citizens of Zhengzhou presented dozens of flowers at the entrance of a subway line where 14 people drowned. But the authorities quickly erected a yellow barrier around the flowers, blocking their view. Reporters and passers-by shared photos of the blocked monument online, sparking thousands of angry comments.

They are even afraid of flowers, one wrote.

Another circle of flowers and candles quickly surrounded the yellow barrier. At night, a video shared online showed that residents of Zhengzhou pulled down the barrier as people applauded.

other Leaked instructions Instruct government staff to visit door to door in the tunnel, and warn shop owners: raise awareness, do not accept interviews with foreign media, and do not give them any possibility of distorting the facts. If relevant, please report to the district staff or call the police.

The New York Times could not confirm the directive, but in recent days, foreign journalists from at least five different media have been harassed while reporting near the tunnel. A salesperson who talked to the New York Times about economic losses was taken away by two women and was later threatened by her supervisor who told her that she would be questioned by the police.

A man rides a bicycle during drainage work near the Jingguang North Road tunnel in Zhengzhou, China.

(Liu Bowen/For the Times)

When reporting on a street near Zhengzhou on Friday, a New York Times reporter and a German colleague were surrounded by an angry crowd. Several roads collapsed on the street last Friday. They accused reporters of smearing China and spreading rumors. They asked reporters to describe a good view of China, but they themselves refused to be interviewed.

A man took out a screenshot of his mobile phone and shouted: It’s him! They mistook their German colleague for a BBC reporter, who also reported from Zhengzhou and raised questions about the city’s subway and drainage system. For this reason, he was attacked on Chinese social media as a rumors and called for him to be pursued. At least one hunting call came from the official account of the Henan Communist Youth League.

On the Chinese version of Twitter’s Weibo, two people claiming to be survivors of the Jingguang North Road tunnel were writing about their experiences and asking why they were caught online when officials knew that the tunnel entrance was not blocked when the rain was coming. Assault. The New York Times could not reach them for comment.

But others, especially flood victims in the hardest-hit areas, spoke openly to the New York Times about their grief over the destruction.

West of Mihe Town Zhengzhou is located at the confluence of two rivers. Dozens of cars and electric wires entangled in trees are scattered everywhere. A red truck capsized under the bridge, and the river was winding through, muddy. Its rapid roar was mixed with the sound of bulldozers scooping up debris.

Many of us in Mihe lost everything, said a woman sitting on a log sticking out of a flooded supermarket. Her family sells lamps and lighting equipment next door. She said that their store on the first floor had been destroyed. Their warehouse supplies were also flooded, and their delivery trucks were washed away.

A woman suffers from flood damage in Mihe City, Henan Province, China.

(Liu Bowen/For the Times)

We were empty-handed, and the lady said that she did not want to be named because she was afraid of being called a rumors. She said many people could not contact their relatives who were washed away by the flood, and they were still looking for them.

Qiao Shi, 58, is standing next to the dilapidated skeleton of a pink car on Xinxing Road, which is now lined with hollow storefronts. He said that despite the heavy rain, everyone in Mihe went out to work as usual that day. They have not received warnings of potential flooding.

He said that this made our situation worse. The government should tell us to evacuate that morning. At least protect people. We can forget the property, but at least we should ensure personal safety and life safety.

Many people have been swept away, Joe said, he thinks the official death toll is too small: definitely not just two or three. There are more than ten of it, and dozens of people in it.

Residents in Weihui Township, heavily flooded in Henan Province, China were evacuated by bulldozers and trucks.

(Liu Bowen/For the Times)

He added that the government is considering their image. We common people have common people’s pain.

Others were more tolerant and did not blame the government. The official death toll and missing persons are still being counted. Many locals say that extreme weather is beyond anyone’s expectations, especially in areas like Henan, which are usually arid areas and will not rain heavily. Even the director of Gongyi City Meteorological Bureau, including Mihe, Wash away According to Chinese reports, he was in his car during the flood on Tuesday (and was later rescued).

Zhang Huanrong, 50, who lives near the railroad tracks behind the Mi River, said that we have never seen such a large amount of water.Zhang, whose uncle in his seventies is still missing, imitated the sound of water: like Bala bala bala bala, Hundreds of cars rushed out of the water, with trees and washing machines, you don’t even know what it is.

However, Zhengzhou City and Henan Provincial Meteorological Bureau issued 10 extreme storm red warnings within 18 hours of causing the flood. The alarms are public. At least in Zhengzhou, each alarm advises the local government to take appropriate emergency measures, including suspending all meetings, courses, and business.

The Times called the Zhengzhou and Gongyi authorities to ask why no emergency measures were taken before the flood. They transferred the “New York Times” to the local propaganda department, which asked the “New York Times” to call the Henan Provincial Propaganda Office. In turn, it sent the Times to the local authorities again. They then asked the New York Times to send the question via e-mail, but did not immediately respond.

The residents of Mihe, China, are struggling to cope with the flood disaster.

(Liu Bowen/For the Times)

The scene being played in Henan follows a familiar formula of President Xi Jinping in China: After the disaster, the authorities turn the tragedy into a victory, while controlling the victim’s narrative and eliminating the problem. Sincere care for flood victims has been reshaped as support for the party, while anger at officials’ negligence has turned to hostile foreign forces.

After last year’s propaganda concealed the government’s mistakes during the COVID-19 outbreak and the Wuhan lockdown, the script was deployed in China and achieved significant success. Today, in Weihui, a heavily flooded town in northern Zhengzhou, pro-Party messages still exist. Red banners hung on both sides of some rescue vehicles that read: Always follow the party.

As the Chinese people continue to live their lives and endure their suffering, all this is happening.

On the mountain behind the Mi River, dozens of small villages dominated by elderly people plunged into mudslides during the storm. On the way to a village, the flat fields became newly carved volcanic craters. The shrubs hang upside down from the roots on the eroded red hills.

A woman cleans up a road in Mihe, Henan Province, China, which is still covered with thick dirt.

(Liu Bowen/For the Times)

71-year-old Zhang Renzhi wearing a loose blue shirt and rubber sandals, sitting in a cornfield outside his home. His 91-year-old father sits behind him, curled up on a wooden chair with his head down. They were trapped here in the storm, and mud and water flowed directly onto their roofs, because the hills around them seemed to be collapsing.

I was scared, Zhang said. There is nowhere to escape. There is nowhere to escape.

In the past two days, the father and son lived on the water and food stored in it. There was no electricity, no electricity, and no phone signal. On the third day, rescuers came to evacuate them, but Zhang was worried that his father was too weak to move, and turned them away. He has already begun to shovel the dirt in the living room, front yard, and roof.

When night falls, they will stay in the dark, waiting for the next rain.

As night fell, residents of Mihe City, Henan Province, China were assessing the losses in their town.

(Liu Bowen/For the Times)