As of Tuesday evening, the Ministry of Water Resources has activated a Level-IV emergency flood response in the provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu in anticipation of severe rainfall and potential flooding.
After continuous rainfall, water overflows from the Bahe River dam in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, July 9, 2024. /CFP
Due to the forecast, 21 counties and districts in the southern parts of Shaanxi, as well as Longnan in Gansu, will be on orange alert, the second-most severe warning, for flash floods from 8 p.m. on Tuesday to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
The forecast indicates that heavy rainfall is expected to persist, with the areas of intense precipitation overlapping with regions prone to flash floods, thereby elevating the risk of such disasters.
In a flood situation report, the Ministry of Water Resources instructed water resource departments in Shaanxi and Gansu to closely monitor the heavy rainfall, focusing on vulnerable areas such as populated mountain valleys and construction zones.
The authorities are to promptly reassess and adjust the flash-flood warning thresholds and ensure that early warning information is accurately communicated to frontline responders and residents in threatened areas.
Local governments are urged to decisively organize the evacuation of individuals from high-risk areas, enhance safety management during evacuations, and prohibit unauthorized returns.
The ministry also emphasized the need for a coordinated approach to ensure the safe management of reservoirs and to bolster defenses against the flooding of small and medium-sized rivers.
(With input from Xinhua)