Flood Battles

As rainfall continued to batter northern China, relevant departments have made necessary preparations for possible disasters caused by the rain. On July 22, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) called for better efforts to mitigate disasters and reduce casualties during the flood season.

MEM’s Vice Minister Huang Ming said that late July and early August is a critical period for fighting floods and providing relief.

The Yellow River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters issued a new alert for floods along the river’s upper reaches on July 23. The water level along the section of the Yellow River—the second longest in China—in Lanzhou, northwest China’s Gansu Province, has risen rapidly due to heavy rain.

Relevant departments along the upper reaches of the river have been asked to strengthen precautions against floods and landslides, as well as to evacuate people from affected areas and enhance monitoring along the river and dikes.

Safety personnel must promptly update and report information regarding floods, while reservoir management agencies should release flood waters according to instructions.

Heilongjiang Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and northern Mongolia Autonomous Region have all suffered from the rain. Meanwhile, Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province experienced more heavy rains on July 23 and 24 from Ampil , the 10th typhoon this year.