On November 17th, in Ningbo, Zhejiang, the foreigner’s wharf experienced backflow of river water, flooding streets and shops along the line. Multiple videos show severe water accumulation on some streets, reaching people’s calves and even submerging vehicles parked on the roadside up to their tires.
Contacted by “Jiupai News” on November 18th, several nearby businesses stated that they had never seen anything like this before, describing it as the first time encountering such a significant surge. One bar owner mentioned that their customer flow decreased by a third, with nearly one-sixth of the shops on the bar street closing as a result.
Mr. Zhang, a staff member at a restaurant on the wharf, stated that the water level rose around 1 pm on the 17th without heavy rain. He mentioned how the water rose rapidly within a minute or two, something they had never witnessed before. The water rose about 20 centimeters, and after receding, the street quickly dried up, with their restaurant unaffected by the flooding. He added that some vehicles were submerged on the street.
Ms. Li, whose shop is only about ten meters from the river, said that the high tide did not cause any damage to her store. She mentioned hearing about the significant water levels in the afternoon, where the bar street was completely submerged and all shops were closed. Despite working for over two years at Ningbo’s foreigner’s wharf, this was the first time experiencing such a massive tide.
On the same day, Mr. Wang, a bar owner on the wharf (alias), mentioned that due to the higher elevation of his establishment, the bar operated normally on the 17th evening, but it still had a certain impact on business.
He further explained that almost one-sixth of the shops on the bar street had closed, and the customer flow at his own establishment was reduced by a third compared to usual.
A staff member from the wharf street office mentioned that the river water had mostly receded by now, but the water level during the surge was still relatively high. They stated that the water level rise was related to the weather and tide conditions, pointing out that the high tide on the 17th was significant, with the noon tide being higher than usual.