China's Jiangxi upgrades flood emergency response to highest level

East China's Jiangxi Province on Saturday upgraded its emergency response for flood control from the second to the first level, the top rung on China's four-tier scale, and one which signals disasters such as dam collapses or extraordinary floods simultaneously in several rivers.

The water level in Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake which connects to the Yangtze River, was 2.3 meters (8 feet), exceeding the alert level. Severe regional flooding is forecast to hit the lake, according to the local authorities.