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China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has issued a Level IV emergency flood response in several provinces as heavy rains continue to batter large parts of the country, Global Times reported.
According to Global Times, the emergency response was activated for Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, and Chongqing at 3:00 pm (local time) on Saturday, with work teams dispatched to Anhui and Hubei to assist local authorities in flood prevention. Separately, China's Ministry of Water Resources also initiated a Level IV flood-control emergency response in Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, and Shaanxi, while maintaining the same response for Anhui and Gansu provinces, Global Times reported. Forecasts from the ministry, cited by Global Times, warned of heavy to torrential rainfall between August 9 and 11 in multiple areas, including Sichuan, Chongqing, southern and central Anhui, southern and central Henan, eastern Hubei, southern Gansu, and southern Shaanxi. Some areas could see extreme downpours, which may cause water levels to surge in the Yangtze River and its tributaries, including the Minjiang, Tuojiang, and Jialing rivers. Global Times further reported that water levels are also expected to rise in the Huaihe River and its southern tributaries, such as the Huanghe, Shiguan, and Peihe rivers. Smaller rivers in the affected regions could face floods above warning levels. Li Guoying, Deputy Commander of the National Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and Minister of Water Resources, called for stronger monitoring, early warnings, and strict implementation of prevention measures to protect lives and property, according to Global Times. On Saturday morning, the ministry held a special meeting to coordinate flood-control efforts in response to the heavy rain. Officials stressed the need for continuous rainfall monitoring, timely release of warning information, precise scheduling of water projects, and relocation of residents from high-risk areas in advance, Global Times reported. Working groups from the ministry have already arrived in Gansu Province to assess flash flood damage and plan further disaster prevention steps. Since Thursday, mountain torrents in Gansu have killed 10 people and left 33 missing as of Friday afternoon, Global Times reported. The heaviest rainfall in Yuzhong County hit the Xinglong Mountain area, severely damaging several villages. Local authorities, quoted by Global Times, said multiple departments are working urgently to repair damaged roads. Relief operations are underway, with 54 hotels requisitioned and 14 centralised shelters, including schools and village administrative centres set up to accommodate nearly 10,000 people displaced by the floods, Global Times reported. (ANI)
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