Residents in northern China used kayaks, powered surfboards, and paddle-boards to navigate streets submerged by severe flooding [1, 2].
This unusual response highlights the scale of urban inundation in the region, where traditional transportation became impossible as floodwaters reclaimed city roads.
The flooding occurred in July 2024 in the aftermath of Typhoon Bavi [1, 2]. The storm brought heavy rains that impacted Shenyang in Liaoning province as well as parts of Hebei province [1, 2].
Footage from the affected areas showed residents swimming and using various watercraft to move through the city [1, 2]. The high water levels turned residential and commercial districts into makeshift waterways, effectively halting normal traffic and pedestrian movement [1, 2].
Local authorities in Shenyang and Hebei have dealt with the immediate consequences of the typhoon's rainbands [1, 2]. While the use of recreational equipment provided a means of mobility for some, the underlying cause remains the extreme weather patterns associated with the storm [1, 2].
Emergency responses in northern China often struggle with the rapid onset of typhoon-driven floods [1, 2]. The transition from dry pavement to deep water can happen quickly, leaving residents to find improvised ways to travel between buildings [1, 2].
“Residents in northern China used kayaks, powered surfboards, and paddle-boards to navigate streets submerged by severe flooding.”
The emergence of 'urban surfing' and kayaking during disasters often signals a gap between infrastructure capacity and the increasing intensity of weather events. When city drainage systems are overwhelmed by typhoons, residents may resort to improvised transport, reflecting both a coping mechanism and a critical failure of urban flood mitigation in northern Chinese provinces.
