China launches emergency response for flood-hit Anhui

Chinese authorities on Monday updated a Level-III emergency response for disaster relief as heavy rains have led to flooding in east China's Anhui Province.

China has a four-level emergency response system for disaster relief, with Level IV being the lowest level and Level I the highest.

Rainstorms in Anhui have affected approximately 991,000 residents and necessitated the evacuation of 242,000 people.

As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, rainstorms have caused extensive damage in 36 counties and districts across seven prefecture-level cities in Anhui, according to the provincial emergency-management authorities.

The Yangtze River, China's longest river, has seen water levels in its Anhui section exceed their warning marks, and continue to rise. Torrential rains have also pushed waters above their guaranteed or alert levels in another 20 rivers and six lakes in the province.

Torrential rains continued to lash a large swathe of the province over the past day. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, 387 stations have received precipitations exceeding 100 mm, with the largest reading being 266 mm.

Since June 22, Susong County has experienced continuous downpours, resulting in the flooding of approximately 666 hectares of rice field seedlings. Local departments are actively working to drain the water.

The precipitation in Pingjiang County reached 759.6 mm from June 18 to July 1, the highest since meteorological records began in 1961. The Pingjiang hydrological station on the Miluo River saw its water level rise rapidly by 9.5 meters within 48 hours. The station experienced the flood crest at midnight on Monday, with the water level 3.67 meters above the guaranteed level, the highest level in 70 years.

The water level in the Miluo River started to recede on Tuesday, with the water level at the Pingjiang station falling 1.49 meters by 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The China National Commission for Disaster Reduction has dispatched a team to assess the disaster situation and provide guidance and support to local disaster relief efforts, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

In their emergency response to rainstorms and flooding, authorities in cities along the Yangtze River in Anhui have dispatched more than 50,000 people to patrol dikes.

On Sunday, the local power supply department worked continuously for two days to install a 1,500-meter-long electrical line. This line provides a stable power supply to the drainage devices, enabling them to operate 24 hours a day and pump out the accumulated water.

Showers or moderate rains are expected in many parts of the province until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Anhui Meteorological Center.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: The Yangtze River has seen water levels exceed their warning marks, and continue to rise, Anhui Province, east China, June 30. /CFP)