BEIJING (Agencies): North China’s Hebei Province has successfully relocated more than 1.2 million residents from flooded areas as torrential rains have ceased, resulting in receding floodwaters. Additionally, authorities anticipate that the floodwater in storage and detention basins will recede within the next month.
The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters of China has maintained a Level-II emergency response for flooding in North China’s Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, as well as the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, and Central China’s Henan. In response to the flood threats, various flood control measures, including eight flood storage and detention basins, diversion channels, and numerous large- and middle-scale floodwater detention reservoirs, have been successfully implemented.
Hebei Province faced intense rainfall for approximately 144 hours between July 27 and August 2, as a result of the combined impact of Typhoon Doksuri and cold and warm air currents. The average rainfall across the province was 146.2 millimeters, with a total precipitation of 27.5 billion cubic meters – twice the capacity of all large- and middle-scale reservoirs in the province.
To manage the flooding, seven flood storage areas were utilized in Hebei, diverting and reducing 1.8 billion cubic meters of floodwater. These measures played a crucial role in flood diversion, preventing reservoir and dike collapses, and protecting vital infrastructure.
By Thursday morning, approximately 1.23 million residents in Hebei had been relocated to safer locations, including 857,200 residents from the flood storage areas. The province has mobilized more than 4,700 rescue teams comprising over 100,000 personnel, and sent more than 2,200 working groups to the affected regions.
Notably, the city of Zhuozhou, located near Beijing, was severely impacted by heavy rainfall, leading to speculation online regarding the waterlogging in the city. Experts clarified that Zhuozhou suffered from waterlogging due to the use of flood storage areas for diverting floodwaters, which are typically meant to benefit downstream areas.
Efforts to address such issues include timely notification of residents and transferring personnel and belongings to safer areas. Authorities are also taking steps to ensure the ecological environment remains protected and conducting purification and disinfection to avoid disease outbreaks after the disaster.
Chinese law mandates compensation for areas used as flood detention areas, with provisions specifying compensation standards for damaged houses, crops, and livestock. Up to 70 percent of losses can be compensated for damaged houses, while owners of destroyed crops and livestock may receive compensation ranging from 40 percent to 70 percent of the average annual output value of the previous three years.
The National Meteorological Center has forecasted extreme heavy rains in Northeast China, with the approaching remnants of Typhoon Doksuri expected to bring storms to certain provinces in the region. Authorities in Harbin and Mudanjiang in Heilongjiang Province have implemented flood control emergency measures, including suspending classes at schools and halting construction and outdoor activities.
As heavy rains are expected to hit the Songhua River basin, major cities along the river will face significant challenges due to intensified flooding from upstream mountain regions.