The extraordinary Zhengzhou flood of 7/20, 2021: How extreme weather and human response compounding to the disaster

Extreme flooding brought by climate change is becoming the new normal globally, creating numerous threats to life and economic losses. In particular, the lack of preparedness for flooding events in inland regions will compound the losses. However, the causes, impacts, and responses to these disasters in inland areas remain poorly understood. Here, using the recent 7•20 flood disaster in 2021 in the inland province of Henan, China, as an example, we examine the extreme flood, the impacts, and how the climate extremeness and inappropriate human responses caused the great damage. Results showed that the average cumulative precipitation in Zhengzhou was above 250 mm when the flood happened. 10.29 % of the total area and 7.55 % of the total population in Zhengzhou were flooded. Cropland, urban built-up, industrial, and residential areas were hit hardest in terms of land cover type and urban function zone. The Zhengzhou flood was a compound effect of multiple natural hazards reaching the region simultaneously and, on top of this, the region's extreme lack of preparation. Our paper not only took the human response into the current flood risk and flood control system but also put forward transformative measures to improve cities' adaptability to climate change in China and beyond. This paper will be a wake-up call for addressing the human factors exacerbating climate change-related disasters and will provide a reference for transformative disaster governance in inland areas worldwide.