[Objective] During the impact of Typhoon Kong-Rey on Shanghai in the autumn of 2024, the Suzhou River reached a new historical high water level. To deeply analyze the causes of this high water level event, assess the response capacity of the existing flood control and drainage system, and explore optimized scheduling and engineering measures, this study systematically reviews the hydrological process of the high water level in the Suzhou River during Typhoon Kong-Rey and proposes practical countermeasures. It aims to provide insights and a scientific basis for optimizing flood control scheduling and urban flood control and drainage system in Shanghai, while also serving as a reference for other cities facing similar challenges. [Methods] A method combining field investigation and numerical simulation was adopted, and data on rainfall, water level, tidal level, and hydraulic facility scheduling during Typhoon Kong-Rey were collected. Considering factors such as rainfall-runoff, river network hydrodynamics, and pump-gate scheduling, a hydrodynamic model for the tidal river network was constructed to simulate the flow dynamics and water level changes in the Suzhou River and its adjacent river network. The average coefficient of determination for water level simulations reached 0.96. On this basis, a knowledge graph was utilized to identify the causes of the high water level in the Suzhou River. Three types of countermeasures were proposed: emergency discharge restriction on both banks, emergency diversion in the river network, and optimized planning for increased drainage. Different scheduling schemes were set up for simulation and comparison to quantitatively evaluate their effectiveness in reducing high water levels and their risk impacts. [Results] Simulations showed that the high water level in the Suzhou River during Typhoon Kong-Rey was primarily caused by the combined effects of concentrated rainfall in the middle and lower reaches, substantial inflow of floodwater from both banks, and the backwater effect from the high tidal level of the Huangpu River. Simulations of different countermeasures revealed the following results. (1) Emergency discharge restriction on both banks: Short-term discharge restriction in the Jiabaobei and Dianbei areas could reduce the highest water levels along the Suzhou River by 0.16-0.29 m, lowering the highest water level at Beixinjing to below 4.25 m. (2) Emergency diversion in the river network: Combining discharge restriction in Jiabaobei and Dianbei areas with emergency diversion via the Xinchapu River could maintain the highest water level along the entire Suzhou River below 4.20 m, diverting approximately 1.02 million m³ of floodwater, with minimal impact on flood control on both banks. (3) Optimized planning for increased drainage: After the implementation of the planned Suzhou River estuary pump station and Wenzaobang east pump station, the reduction in the highest water level along the Suzhou River could reach 0.40-0.64 m, while also enhancing the drainage capacity of the Jiabaobei area and significantly improving regional flood control resilience. [Conclusion] Existing engineering system for the Suzhou River has shortcomings under extreme events. Scientific scheduling and engineering optimization can effectively reduce the risk of high water levels. It is recommended to prioritize the “Jiabaobei + Dianbei discharge restriction + Xinchapu diversion” as the emergency scheduling scheme, and to accelerate the construction of the Suzhou River estuary pump station and the Wenzaobang east pump station, thereby establishing a multi-level flood control and drainage system of “restriction-diversion-expansion”. This study provides replicable and scalable scheduling experience and engineering approaches for Shanghai to cope with similar extreme typhoon events, and also offers important references for other plain cities with tidal river networks.