Heavy Rains Trigger Severe Flooding in Hunan

Heavy rainfall pounded parts of Hunan earlier this week, causing the water level of a local river to reach its highest level in 70 years.

Local authorities have activated the maximum emergency response level.

Floods arrived two months early in the Pearl River Basin, with the Beijiang, Hanjiang, and Dongjiang rivers having experienced six floods since April. Notably, floods No.1 and No.2 along the Beijiang River were the earliest and most severe on record since 1998. 

Besides, floods have been more frequent and severe this year. More than 470 small and medium rivers in 21 provinces have exceeded warning levels, doubling the usual number.

The excessive rainfall is primarily due to the regions' location on the edge of the subtropical high-pressure belt. Strong and humid air currents, following the edge of the high-pressure system, transport moisture from the tropical oceans to these areas. Coupled with the southward diffusion of cold air from the north, prolonged confrontation between the cold and warm air masses has formed the Meiyu front, leading to the increased rainfall, Zhou said.

The Yangtze River Water Resources Commission maintains a Level III emergency response for flood defense, coordinating with local counterparts to manage 53 major reservoirs in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The Three Gorges Reservoir has reduced its inflow from over 25,000 cubic meters per second to about 14,000 cubic meters per second, stored 39 billion cubic meters of floodwater and lowered downstream water levels by 0.15 to 0.7 meters, easing the pressure of flood prevention and control on the middle and lower Yangtze River.

Hunan Province, with the most reservoirs, is on high alert.

China has provided more than $316.4 million in funds to help with rescue efforts and emergency supplies as deadly floods and landslides caused by almost two weeks of torrential rain ravage several parts of the country.