Heavy rainfall affects 1.15 million people in central China's Hunan

Heavy rainfall has affected 1.15 million people in central China's Hunan Province since July 26, leading to direct economic losses of around 6.13 billion yuan (about $847 million), local authorities said Wednesday.

Rainstorms from Typhoon Gaemi forced the evacuation of 95,000 people in the province, with 49,800 requiring emergency relief, according to preliminary statistics from the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Torrential rains have also battered 107,500 hectares of crops, of which 17,100 hectares have been completely lost.

Currently, Hunan Province is maintaining a Level II emergency response for flood, the second-highest level in the four-tier warning system. A total of 78 county-level areas in the province have maintained different levels of emergency response, among which Zixing and Huarong have activated a Level I emergency response for flood.

Four helicopters from the Department of Emergency Management of Hunan Province have been carrying out airdrop operations since July 29. As of July 30, the helicopters have flown 181 sorties, delivered 48.4 tonnes of supplies and transferred 61 injuries, within a total flight time of 70 hours and 59 minutes.

The helicopters commenced air rescue missions to 47 village groups in multiple towns in Zixing City at 7:30 am, July 31. In addition to drinking water, rice and other daily necessities, 25 generators will be transported to villages in the blackout. One of the choppers will bring poles and wires to speed up the power restoration in the mountainous areas.

The provincial meteorological department forecast heavy rains in northwestern Hunan for the next one to two days, advising preventive measures.

China's Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration on Tuesday evening issued an orange alert for possible mountain torrents in parts of Beijing, Hebei and Heilongjiang between 8 p.m. Tuesday and 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The authorities also issued a yellow alert for mountain torrents in parts of Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin and Guangxi.

China has allocated a total of 11.5 billion yuan (about $1.56 billion) to assist in disaster relief this year, said Fu Jinling, the director general of the Department of Economic Construction at the Ministry of Finance, at a press conference on Wednesday.

China has a four-tier emergency response system for flood control, with Level I being the most urgent response, and a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: Residents are transferred in Zixing City, Hunan Province, central China, July 28, 2024. /CFP)