2010 South China floods
Encyclopedia
The 2010 China floods began in early May 2010. 392 people had died, and a further 232 people had been reported missing as of June 30, 2010, including 57 people in a landslide in Guizhou. 53 of the deaths occurred from the flooding and landslides between May 31 and June 3, and 266 deaths occurred between June 13 and June 29. 424 people were killed by the end of June, including 42 from the Guizhou landslide; 277 more were killed and 147 left missing in the first two weeks of July, bringing the death toll as of August 5 to 1,072. A landslide
in early August in Gansu
killed at least 1,471 people and left 294 missing. In total, the flooding and landslides killed at least 3,185 people in China by August 31. More than people in 28 provinces, municipalities and regions, especially the southern and central provinces and regions of Zhejiang
, Fujian
, Jiangxi
, Hubei
, Hunan
, Guangdong
, Guangxi
, Chongqing
Municipality, Gansu
, Sichuan
and Guizhou
, and the northeastern province of Jilin
have been affected, while at least people have been evacuated because of the risk of flooding and landslides in the latter half of June. By early August, over people had been evacuated, and that number rose to 15.2 million by August 31.
Millions lack drinking water. A total of 1.36 million houses have been destroyed and more than 97200 square kilometres (37,529.1 sq mi) of crops had been innundated, while 8000 km² (3,088.8 sq mi) of farmland had been completely destroyed by the end of June. Dozens of rivers remain in flood, including the Pearl River
in Guangdong
province, which was impacted by severe drought during the spring as its outflow was severely reduced. The total damages from the floods were roughly 83.8 billion yuan
as of June 27, 2010, and over yuan ( USD) by August 8. By late August, hectare
s of farmland have been affected by the flooding, while hectares have been completely destroyed.
In late May 2010, heavy rainfall caused a train derailment in Jiangxi
, killing at least 19 people, and the closure of the Shanghai-Kunming railway
line for 24 hours due to a landslide.
Many major rivers in China, including the Yangtze
, Yellow and Songhua River
s have been flooded to danger levels. The Chinese Government has allocated over yuan for rescue and relief work. The Jialing River
, Han River
and Huai River
have also surged higher than warning levels.
. The flooding has attracted attention from the state leaders of the Chinese Government
and the public, who have brought aid to the victims of the flooding. The death toll from the floods continue to rise, but floodwaters began to recede in some areas by the end of June. Throughout the East Asian Monsoon
season, the worst of the flooding shifted from Southwestern China to Central China by June and July and moved to Northern and Northeastern China by late July and August, leaving the southern provinces in a heat wave while the Northeastern and Northwestern provinces were continuously lashed by flooding rains. Unusual climate patterns were linked to the persistent flooding, including an El Niño "Modoki", jet stream
patterns (also possibly linked to low solar activity
), deforestation
worsening the landslides and global warming
.
in Guizhou Province
around 2:30 pm on June 28 that trapped 99 people in the village of Dazhai, Ganwu Township, Anshun
. Ganwu received 257 mm of rain on June 27, a daily record for the township, and the resulting landslide lasted two minutes and unleashed up to two million cubic metres of mud and rock, burying at least 37 buildings and homes in Dazhai. Officials have stated there is little hope for survival of the buried victims, and that torrential rains are likely to continue. The rains are hampering rescue efforts in the search for survivors from the 38 families buried by the landslide. Chinese Vice Premier, Hui Liangyu urged the use of all resources to rescue any survivors. The first body, one of a child, was found by rescue workers in the late afternoon of June 29.
More than 1,100 rescue workers searched to find the remaining victims, including up to thirty children and infants, but eight of the original missing have turned up alive but were never buried. By July 1, ten bodies had been found from the site of the landslide, and 89 were still missing and feared dead. At least 1,000 people have been evacuated from the village in the aftermath of the landslide. A total of 42 bodies were found by June 29, and the remaining 57 missing were presumed dead.
s were breached in Jiangxi
and 33,900 water conservancy projects were damaged. The direct economic loss is about yuan. A 347 metre-wide breach of the Changkai dike on the Fuhe River, which burst its banks on June 21 and again on June 23, in Luozhen Township, Fuzhou City
, forced people to evacuate. The breach was repaired on June 27. The local and provincial government have provided tents, quilts, blankets, clothing and water dispensers to the affected residents. The flood crest of the Gan River passed the city of Nanchang
on June 23.
Residents of the city of Ganzhou
have been protected from the flooding by drains built in the area during the Song Dynasty
.
, 400 victims of flooding have been safely transferred and properly rehoused. 76 people were killed and 79 were missing from landslides in the province by June 21. The village of Baozhuang was completely cut off for six days before rescue workers brought the residents to safety. More than ten consecutive days of rain hit Nanping
, and factories were destroyed. people were affected, damages totalled yuan, and 365,000 people have been relocated. Flooding destroyed a bridge in the province on July 7, travel has been disrupted in 20 counties and the town of Taining is completely under water.
were affected, 37 deaths, 164.58 thousand hectares of crops affected, 16,395 residential housings collapsed. The direct economic loss is about yuan, of which were agricultural losses.
On June 2, 42 people were killed in a series of landslides that hit Cenxi
, Rong County
, Teng County
, Donglan County
and Fangchenggang
City.
Province. 5,100 houses have collapsed, and a further 17,700 houses were damaged.
, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
in Gansu
Province late in the night on August 7 buried Yueyuan Village, a village of 300 families, killing 1,435 people, and leaving 330 others missing. The landslide buried half of Chengguan Township, the county seat, containing the village in water and destroyed an area five kilometres long, 500 metres wide and two metres thick, before water levels declined. About 45,000 people have been evacuated from the site, and 1,243 others were rescued by army rescuers and local residents. However, excavators and large rescue vehicles could not reach the scene because of landslides and floodwaters. Premier Wen Jiabao
arrived in the county at on August 8. A power outage following the slide covered two-thirds of the county. The Bailong River
was dammed by the landslide and started to overflow around on August 8, creating a landslide lake
3 kilometres long, 100 metres wide and 9 metres deep, holding m3 of water and submerging parts of the town, forcing 19,000 people downstream to evacuate. Demolition experts started working on the lake to release some of its water. The death toll was expected to rise, and more rain fell in the area afterwards, hampering relief efforts. A rare national day of mourning
was held in China to remember the victims of the Gansu mudslide on August 15. At least 1,700 people made homeless by the landslides will be relocated and may need to spend the winter in tents.
On August 13, 150 mm of torrential rain overnight and landslides hit Longnan
City. As of August 17, it has caused 36 deaths and left 23 more missing. 122,835 others were forced to evacuate to emergency shelters and 295 people were injured by the mudslides and landslides. In Tianshui
, at least four people were killed. Over 10,600 people were evacuated from Longnan.
were affected, including Luzhou
city's 95 townships. The direct economic loss of Luzhou is about yuan. The total direct economic loss is about 6.89 billion yuan, and 25,000 homes had been damaged in the flooding in August.
A landslide in the village of Wangong, Hanyuan County
, left 21 people missing after burying 58 homes on July 27 and forced 4,000 to evacuate.
In Mianzhu
, Deyang
, heavy rains started on August 12 and landslides hit on August 13, killing five people and trapping 500 more in an area devastated by the recent drought and earthquake in 2008
. Sixteen people are dead after flooding and mudslides since August 13 in the province by August 20, and 66 are missing, including at least 38 in Wenchuan County
, forcing 10,000 people to evacuate. Further landslides killed 18 people, injured 9 and left four missing in Wenchuan and Qingchuan County
. Landslides created a flood lake in Yingxing Township, and floodwaters four metres deep covered a 200-metre stretch of the only highway that links Wenchuan and Chengdu
.
In Guanghan
, a train travelling from Xi'an
to Kunming
alonge the Baoji-Chengdu Railway
derailed after floods washed away a section of a bridge on August 19. Two carriages of the train were washed into the river after dangling for a few minutes, but all passengers were safely rescued.
were affected, and 25,300 houses have collapsed so far. The province experienced its worst flooding since 2003. In late June, floodwaters threatened the major city of Changsha, as water levels rose 2.5 metres above danger level, the highest in a decade, and the third-highest since 1953.
, the Han River
at Wuhan
experienced its worst flooding in twenty years, as officials continued sandbagging efforts along the Han and Yangtze Rivers in the city and checked reservoirs.
experienced its highest river discharge in 130 years, and the highest since the dam was built. The dam's walls released of water, while of the river flow was held back in behind the dam, after water levels in the Reservoir had risen four meters overnight. The reservoir's water levels peaked at 158.86 meters on the morning of July 23, whereas the "alarm level" of the reservoir was at . All ferry service in the Reservoir was halted as total flow rate exceeded , although the crest of the flooding passed the dam by July 24. A second peak in the river arrived at the dam on July 28, when the peak flow from the dam was a record 56,000 m3/s.
By early August, a thick layer of garbage covering 50000 square metres (538,195.5 sq ft) and 60 centimetres (2 ft) deep, including tree branches, plastic bottles and domestic waste, swept into the reservoir by floods since July threatened to clog the shipping locks at the dam's wall. Workers are removing 3,000 tons of garbage daily, and the company responsible for the dam has paid for 150,000 to 200,000 cubic meters of garbage to be removed annually.
, Henan
a bridge on the Yi River
collapsed as onlookers crowded over it to watch the flooding, killing 51 people and leaving 15 missing. Flooding also threatened the Longmen Grottoes
, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the city.
in Guangdong
, 603.5 mm of rain fell in six hours, the fastest rainfall accumulation recorded there in about 50 years. Three deaths occurred in the province and two are missing, while 550,000 people were affected and 80,000 relocated.
Province, and 71 went missing due to floods. Jilin is one of the worst-hit regions in China due to rain and landslides since July 20, where flooding first started in June, with over 1,000,000 people evacuated in the province since July, a record for the province, and more than four million affected. 62,000 houses have been destroyed and 193,000 damaged, while direct economic losses reached yuan in the province.
On July 28, several thousand barrels were washed into the Songhua River
by the floods from two chemical plants in Jilin. Barrels contained some toxic chemicals like trimethylsilyl chloride
and hexamethyldisiloxane
, about of a poisonous substance in each. There were reports that some barrels exploded on contact with water. The Dahe Dam in Changshan Township, Huadian
City was breached on July 28, spilling 4 million m3 of water, destroying five villages downstream and leaving 40 people dead or missing. By late afternoon on August 1, 6,387 barrels had been retrieved from the river. Officials stated that tests show the water in the river remains safe to drink. Three soldiers of the People's Liberation Army
in Jilin drowned after working to remove the barrels and control the flooding.
In the city of Baishan
, near the border with North Korea
, an island of garbage covering 15, blocked water flow upstream from the Yunfeng Dam
after it became clogged at a bridge. More flooding rains are expected in the coming days. Forty truckfulls of garbage have been collected, but the remaining garbage could fill 200 more. In Tonghua
, 300,000 residents were left without tap water after the flooding damaged major water pipelines. The water supply to the city was restored by August 4. In addition, 15,702 residents from Liuhe County
in Tonghua were evacuated to safter locations by August 5. Unprecedented record levels of flooding hit the Yalu River
, where shipping was suspended, and the Tumen River
both bordering North Korea, while Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture
in the province suffered its worst flooding in one hundred years.
In Linjiang
City, also bordering North Korea on the Yalu, three townships were cut off by floods and mudslides, and 38,000 residents were relocated. Between July 31 and August 4, 68,000 residents were without drinking water due to flooding, until it was restored at on August 4 but will take about three more days until the water is potable. Fire trucks were mobilized to provide drinking water from nearby spring
s.
In Antu County
, 70 homes in one village were destroyed by flooding, while in a mountain valley an area was submerged by floods 20 metres deep, forcing 570 families to evacuate. Damages from the floods in the county exceeded yuan, equal to about 5.7 times the county government's revenue in 2009. In central Jilin, of rain fell in 24 hours since August 4, while fell in a few hours in Lishu
in a few hours on August 5. Seven of the 25 medium and large reservoirs in Jilin City
were forced to discharge, including Fengman Reservoir, the largest reservoir on the Songhua, at a rate of . A 24-hour monitoring system has been set up on many reservoirs.
Workers started repairing fifty-one damaged small reservoirs and fortifying riverbanks in the province after the Songhua River surged to levels twice as high as normal. Premier Wen Jiabao
visited Yongji County
during the first week of August.
Other areas of Northern
and Northeastern China were expected to receive more flooding rains, including Liaoning
, Heilongjiang
, Nei Mongol, Hebei
and Shandong
.
affected the city of Dandong
in early August. Provincial authorities suspended shipping on the river and more than 40,000 people were evacuated from the city, and more rain is expected for the region. Heavy rains brought shipping to a halt by August 19, and by August 21 the Yalu breached its banks. About 250,000 people in northeastern China were evacuated, including 94,000 in Dandong, where four people were killed and one is missing in Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County. The rain and flooding cut rail services and destroyed more than 200 houses. At least 1,200 people were trapped by flood water. This affected Dandong on the Chinese side and Sinuiju
on the North Korean side. Much of North Korea's trade with the world depends on Sinuiju, which is a vital lifeline for the country. The river's flow hit a peak of 27,000 m3/s on August 21, flooding 44 townships and causing 158 embankment breaches. Rainfall up to 250 mm in 24 hours was expected on August 23. Water levels at one station in Dandong rose 2.5 metres above the warning level, the second-highest measurement since 1934.
Floods also covered roads and farms in Tieling
City, affecting 20,000 people.
In Huludao
City, ten workers were stranded on an island created by flooding before being rescued, after National Road 102 was disrupted by floodwaters.
Another series of floods left eight dead and one missing in Dandong by August 27.
A developing tropical storm was forecast to bring more heavy rains to the Yalu River region by August 28.
) near the Songhua River in Heilongjiang
Province.
in Yunnan
was hit by torrential rainfall lasting seven hours, completely filling a nearby reservoir, which submerged the county. Water over roads was as deep as 1.5 metres. The flooding killed one person and injured 165 others, and 55,000 people were affected in the county while 6,000 houses were destroyed.
In Puladi Township, Gongshan, a landslide in June killed 11 people at a hydropower station construction site. On August 18, another landslide containing 600,000 m3 of mud and rock cut off a town after roads and power lines were severed, killing 29 people and leaving 63 missing, as well as injuring 25 people, 9 of them seriously. Some of the people missing were workers for an iron mine. The chances of survival for the missing people are said to be low as they have been trapped for over three days. The new landslide was about 300 metres wide, and buried 21 houses and 10 trucks. The slide also dammed parts of the Salween River
near the border with Myanmar
, causing water levels at its upper reaches to rise six metres.
in July and left three more missing, affecting 41,000 people.
The Wenquan Reservoir in the province, 130 kilometres upstream from Golmud
, was overfilled with of water, while it was only designed to hold , creating a water level 1.18 metres above the warning line. Soldiers and rescue workers built drainage channels to pipe the water away from the reservoir, which would have flooded Golmud with water over four metres deep if its dam burst, and the channels are designed to release of water per second. More than 11,300 people have been evacuated from the city.
caused water levels in the region's 13 major rivers to rise above danger levels. In Aksu Prefecture
, roads were cut off and bridges destroyed, while 1,000 people became trapped in the mountainous areas. On August 1, helicopters rescued 118 of the trapped people and delivered relief goods to the remaining residents.
Floods triggered by torrential rains pounded Akto County
on July 6 resulted in 6 deaths and 2 missing. On the morning of Aug 17th, a 540 meters long bridge spanning the Yarkand River
were destroyed by the mountain torrents, incuring a regional block of the National Highway 315
.
and two left missing by July 9. The direct economic damages from the floods in the city were yuan, and 92 flights were delayed due to the floods.
has helped with flood relief efforts, rescue work and supplies following flooding and landslides in many regions. Donations from Chinese citizens have also contributed to relief supplies. On August 31, the Ministry of Finance
and Ministry of Civil Affairs
allocated 2.01 billion yuan (294.85 million USD) to improve relief efforts.
2010 Gansu mudslide
The 2010 Gansu mudslide was a deadly mudslide in Zhugqu County in Gannan TAP in China that occurred at 12 midnight on 8 August 2010. It was caused by heavy rainfall and flooding in Gansu Province. It was the most deadly individual disaster among the 2010 China floods . The mudslides killed more...
in early August in Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
killed at least 1,471 people and left 294 missing. In total, the flooding and landslides killed at least 3,185 people in China by August 31. More than people in 28 provinces, municipalities and regions, especially the southern and central provinces and regions of Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
, Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
Municipality, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
and Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, and the northeastern province of Jilin
Jilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
have been affected, while at least people have been evacuated because of the risk of flooding and landslides in the latter half of June. By early August, over people had been evacuated, and that number rose to 15.2 million by August 31.
Millions lack drinking water. A total of 1.36 million houses have been destroyed and more than 97200 square kilometres (37,529.1 sq mi) of crops had been innundated, while 8000 km² (3,088.8 sq mi) of farmland had been completely destroyed by the end of June. Dozens of rivers remain in flood, including the Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
province, which was impacted by severe drought during the spring as its outflow was severely reduced. The total damages from the floods were roughly 83.8 billion yuan
Chinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
as of June 27, 2010, and over yuan ( USD) by August 8. By late August, hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s of farmland have been affected by the flooding, while hectares have been completely destroyed.
In late May 2010, heavy rainfall caused a train derailment in Jiangxi
2010 Jiangxi train derailment
At around CST 2:10 am on 23 May 2010, train K859 travelling from Shanghai to Guilin derailed in a mountainous area in Dongxiang County, within Fuzhou City, Jiangxi. At least 19 people died, and 71 were injured. A total of at least 53 people were rescued and another 280 were taken from the train...
, killing at least 19 people, and the closure of the Shanghai-Kunming railway
Shanghai-Kunming railway
The Shanghai-Kunming Railway or Hukun Railway , also known as the Hukun Line, is a major arterial railroad across eastern, south central and southwest China. It connects Shanghai, whose shorthand name is Hu, and Kunming. The line has a total length of 2,690 km and passes through Shanghai...
line for 24 hours due to a landslide.
Many major rivers in China, including the Yangtze
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
, Yellow and Songhua River
Songhua River
The Songhua or Sunggari River is a river in Northeast China, and is the largest tributary of the Heilong River , flowing about from Changbai Mountains through Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. The river drains of land, and has an annual discharge of .As the Second Songhua River, it joins the...
s have been flooded to danger levels. The Chinese Government has allocated over yuan for rescue and relief work. The Jialing River
Jialing River
The Jialing River is a tributary of the Yangtze River with its source in Gansu province. It gets its name from its crossing the Jialing Vale in Feng County of Shaanxi. It was once known as Langshui or Yushui .-Overview:...
, Han River
Han River (Hanshui)
The Han River is a left tributary of the Yangtze River with a length of 1532 km. Historically it was referred to as Hànshuǐ and the name is still occasionally used today....
and Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
have also surged higher than warning levels.
Effects
The grim situation of the 2010 South China floods has exceeded the levels of the 1998 Yangtze River floods1998 Yangtze River Floods
The 1998 Yangtze River floods was a major flood that lasted from middle of June to the beginning of September 1998 in the People's Republic of China at the Yangtze River.-Tolls:The event was considered the worst Northern China flood in 40 years...
. The flooding has attracted attention from the state leaders of the Chinese Government
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
and the public, who have brought aid to the victims of the flooding. The death toll from the floods continue to rise, but floodwaters began to recede in some areas by the end of June. Throughout the East Asian Monsoon
East Asian monsoon
The East Asian monsoon is a monsoonal flow that carries moist air from the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean to East Asia. It affects approximately one-third of the global population, influencing the climate of Japan , the Koreas, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and much of mainland China...
season, the worst of the flooding shifted from Southwestern China to Central China by June and July and moved to Northern and Northeastern China by late July and August, leaving the southern provinces in a heat wave while the Northeastern and Northwestern provinces were continuously lashed by flooding rains. Unusual climate patterns were linked to the persistent flooding, including an El Niño "Modoki", jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
patterns (also possibly linked to low solar activity
Solar variation
Solar variation is the change in the amount of radiation emitted by the Sun and in its spectral distribution over years to millennia. These variations have periodic components, the main one being the approximately 11-year solar cycle . The changes also have aperiodic fluctuations...
), deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
worsening the landslides and global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
.
Guizhou Province
After experiencing severe drought, heavy rains triggered a landslideLandslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
in Guizhou Province
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
around 2:30 pm on June 28 that trapped 99 people in the village of Dazhai, Ganwu Township, Anshun
Anshun
Anshun is a prefecture-level city in China in the southwestern province of Guizhou where the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall is located. Within the borders of its prefecture one also finds attractions such as Long Gong Dragon Caves and the Getu River. As of 1999, it had a population of 217,215...
. Ganwu received 257 mm of rain on June 27, a daily record for the township, and the resulting landslide lasted two minutes and unleashed up to two million cubic metres of mud and rock, burying at least 37 buildings and homes in Dazhai. Officials have stated there is little hope for survival of the buried victims, and that torrential rains are likely to continue. The rains are hampering rescue efforts in the search for survivors from the 38 families buried by the landslide. Chinese Vice Premier, Hui Liangyu urged the use of all resources to rescue any survivors. The first body, one of a child, was found by rescue workers in the late afternoon of June 29.
More than 1,100 rescue workers searched to find the remaining victims, including up to thirty children and infants, but eight of the original missing have turned up alive but were never buried. By July 1, ten bodies had been found from the site of the landslide, and 89 were still missing and feared dead. At least 1,000 people have been evacuated from the village in the aftermath of the landslide. A total of 42 bodies were found by June 29, and the remaining 57 missing were presumed dead.
Jiangxi Province
Seventeen leveeLevee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s were breached in Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
and 33,900 water conservancy projects were damaged. The direct economic loss is about yuan. A 347 metre-wide breach of the Changkai dike on the Fuhe River, which burst its banks on June 21 and again on June 23, in Luozhen Township, Fuzhou City
Fuzhou, Jiangxi
Fuzhou is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China.It is located to the south of the provincial capital Nanchang. Its total area is 18,800 km². Its population is 3,700,000 people...
, forced people to evacuate. The breach was repaired on June 27. The local and provincial government have provided tents, quilts, blankets, clothing and water dispensers to the affected residents. The flood crest of the Gan River passed the city of Nanchang
Nanchang
Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. It is located in the north-central portion of the province. As it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake, it is famous for its scenery, rich history and cultural sites...
on June 23.
Residents of the city of Ganzhou
Ganzhou
Ganzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China. Its administrative seat is at Zhanggong .-History:...
have been protected from the flooding by drains built in the area during the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
.
Fujian Province
In FujianFujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, 400 victims of flooding have been safely transferred and properly rehoused. 76 people were killed and 79 were missing from landslides in the province by June 21. The village of Baozhuang was completely cut off for six days before rescue workers brought the residents to safety. More than ten consecutive days of rain hit Nanping
Nanping
Nanping is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders Ningde City to the east, Sanming City to the south, and the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangxi to the north and west respectively...
, and factories were destroyed. people were affected, damages totalled yuan, and 365,000 people have been relocated. Flooding destroyed a bridge in the province on July 7, travel has been disrupted in 20 counties and the town of Taining is completely under water.
Guangxi Autonomous Region
people in GuangxiGuangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
were affected, 37 deaths, 164.58 thousand hectares of crops affected, 16,395 residential housings collapsed. The direct economic loss is about yuan, of which were agricultural losses.
On June 2, 42 people were killed in a series of landslides that hit Cenxi
Cenxi
Cenxi is a city district of Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of Wuzhou city....
, Rong County
Rong County, Guangxi
Rongxian is a county in Yulin, in the autonomous region of Guangxi, in southern China. Its population is approximately 700,000.Duqiao Mountain , located in Rongxian, is a famous Taoist sanctuary. Other tourist sites include the Zhenwu Pavilion ....
, Teng County
Teng County
Teng County is a county of Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of Wuzhou city.-People:*Chen Yucheng...
, Donglan County
Donglan County
Donglan County is a county of Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of Hechi city....
and Fangchenggang
Fangchenggang
Fangchenggang , formerly Fangcheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County , is a prefecture-level city in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.-Geography and climate:...
City.
Anhui Province
At least four million people have been affected in AnhuiAnhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
Province. 5,100 houses have collapsed, and a further 17,700 houses were damaged.
Gansu Province
Landslides in Zhugqu CountyZhugqu County
Zhougqu County is an administrative district in Gansu, the People's Republic of China. It is one of 58 counties of Gansu. It is part of the Gannan Prefecture...
, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in southern Gansu Province, China. It includes Xiahe and the Labrang Monastery, Luqu, Maqu, and other mostly Tibetan towns and villages...
in Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
Province late in the night on August 7 buried Yueyuan Village, a village of 300 families, killing 1,435 people, and leaving 330 others missing. The landslide buried half of Chengguan Township, the county seat, containing the village in water and destroyed an area five kilometres long, 500 metres wide and two metres thick, before water levels declined. About 45,000 people have been evacuated from the site, and 1,243 others were rescued by army rescuers and local residents. However, excavators and large rescue vehicles could not reach the scene because of landslides and floodwaters. Premier Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
arrived in the county at on August 8. A power outage following the slide covered two-thirds of the county. The Bailong River
Bailong River
The Bailong River is a river in the East China Sea basin of China. In August 2010, due to heavy rains and landslides the river overflowed its banks in Zhugqu County, Gansu, causing extensive damage and killing over a thousand people....
was dammed by the landslide and started to overflow around on August 8, creating a landslide lake
Landslide dam
A landslide dam, debris dam, or barrier lake is a natural damming of a river by some kind of mass wasting: landslide, debris flow, rock avalanche or volcano. If it is caused by earthquake, it may also be called a quake lake. Some landslide dams are as high as the largest existing artificial dam...
3 kilometres long, 100 metres wide and 9 metres deep, holding m3 of water and submerging parts of the town, forcing 19,000 people downstream to evacuate. Demolition experts started working on the lake to release some of its water. The death toll was expected to rise, and more rain fell in the area afterwards, hampering relief efforts. A rare national day of mourning
National day of mourning
A national day of mourning is a day marked by mourning and memorial activities observed among the majority of a country's populace. They are designated by that nation's government...
was held in China to remember the victims of the Gansu mudslide on August 15. At least 1,700 people made homeless by the landslides will be relocated and may need to spend the winter in tents.
On August 13, 150 mm of torrential rain overnight and landslides hit Longnan
Longnan
-History:Longnan was settled at least 7000 years ago. Between 5000 and 6000 years ago, civilizations developed along the Xihanshui and the Bailong rivers. Anping in Wudu as well as Li County both have ancient ruins. Longnan is very important in Chinese history and is considered the cradle of the...
City. As of August 17, it has caused 36 deaths and left 23 more missing. 122,835 others were forced to evacuate to emergency shelters and 295 people were injured by the mudslides and landslides. In Tianshui
Tianshui
Tianshui is the second largest city in Gansu province in northwest China. Its population is approximately 3,500,000.Tianshui lies along the route of the ancient Northern Silk Road at the Wei River, through which much of trade occurred between China and the west...
, at least four people were killed. Over 10,600 people were evacuated from Longnan.
Sichuan Province
31.81 million people in SichuanSichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
were affected, including Luzhou
Luzhou
-History:The history of Luzhou dates back to Xia and Shang Dynasties. Luzhou became a prefecture level city in 1983.-History of Luzhou:...
city's 95 townships. The direct economic loss of Luzhou is about yuan. The total direct economic loss is about 6.89 billion yuan, and 25,000 homes had been damaged in the flooding in August.
A landslide in the village of Wangong, Hanyuan County
Hanyuan County
Hanyuan County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Ya'an city....
, left 21 people missing after burying 58 homes on July 27 and forced 4,000 to evacuate.
In Mianzhu
Mianzhu
Mianzhu is a county-level city of Deyang, Sichuan province in Southwest China.It has an area of and a population of 510,000 in 2004.The city was heavily damaged during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Fuxin No...
, Deyang
Deyang
Deyang is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan province, China. Deyang is a wealthy, mostly industrial city, with the Erzhong Heavy Machinery Company Deyang is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan province, China. Deyang is a wealthy, mostly industrial city, with the Erzhong Heavy Machinery Company...
, heavy rains started on August 12 and landslides hit on August 13, killing five people and trapping 500 more in an area devastated by the recent drought and earthquake in 2008
2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
. Sixteen people are dead after flooding and mudslides since August 13 in the province by August 20, and 66 are missing, including at least 38 in Wenchuan County
Wenchuan County
Wenchuan County is a county in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.This county has an area of...
, forcing 10,000 people to evacuate. Further landslides killed 18 people, injured 9 and left four missing in Wenchuan and Qingchuan County
Qingchuan County
Qingchuan County is a county in Sichuan, China, under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city Guangyuan...
. Landslides created a flood lake in Yingxing Township, and floodwaters four metres deep covered a 200-metre stretch of the only highway that links Wenchuan and Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
.
In Guanghan
Guanghan
Guanghan is a county-level city in Deyang, Sichuan province, China. The predominant industries are tourism, pharmaceuticals and the supply of building material....
, a train travelling from Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
to Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
alonge the Baoji-Chengdu Railway
Baoji-Chengdu Railway
The Baoji–Chengdu Railway or Baocheng Railway , is a mixed single- and double-track, electrified, railroad that connects central and southwest China between Baoji and Chengdu. The line has a total length of 668.2 km and passes through mostly mountainous terrain in Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan...
derailed after floods washed away a section of a bridge on August 19. Two carriages of the train were washed into the river after dangling for a few minutes, but all passengers were safely rescued.
Hunan Province
People in 14 cities in HunanHunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
were affected, and 25,300 houses have collapsed so far. The province experienced its worst flooding since 2003. In late June, floodwaters threatened the major city of Changsha, as water levels rose 2.5 metres above danger level, the highest in a decade, and the third-highest since 1953.
Hubei Province
In HubeiHubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, the Han River
Han River (Hanshui)
The Han River is a left tributary of the Yangtze River with a length of 1532 km. Historically it was referred to as Hànshuǐ and the name is still occasionally used today....
at Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
experienced its worst flooding in twenty years, as officials continued sandbagging efforts along the Han and Yangtze Rivers in the city and checked reservoirs.
Three Gorges Dam
By July 20, the Yangtze River at the Three Gorges DamThree Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China...
experienced its highest river discharge in 130 years, and the highest since the dam was built. The dam's walls released of water, while of the river flow was held back in behind the dam, after water levels in the Reservoir had risen four meters overnight. The reservoir's water levels peaked at 158.86 meters on the morning of July 23, whereas the "alarm level" of the reservoir was at . All ferry service in the Reservoir was halted as total flow rate exceeded , although the crest of the flooding passed the dam by July 24. A second peak in the river arrived at the dam on July 28, when the peak flow from the dam was a record 56,000 m3/s.
By early August, a thick layer of garbage covering 50000 square metres (538,195.5 sq ft) and 60 centimetres (2 ft) deep, including tree branches, plastic bottles and domestic waste, swept into the reservoir by floods since July threatened to clog the shipping locks at the dam's wall. Workers are removing 3,000 tons of garbage daily, and the company responsible for the dam has paid for 150,000 to 200,000 cubic meters of garbage to be removed annually.
Henan Province
In the city of LuoyangLuoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
a bridge on the Yi River
Yi River
Yi River may refer to:* Yí River, river in Uruguay, tributary of Río Negro* Yi River , river in China flowing near Longmen Grottoes* Yishui in Shandong, China....
collapsed as onlookers crowded over it to watch the flooding, killing 51 people and leaving 15 missing. Flooding also threatened the Longmen Grottoes
Longmen Grottoes
The Longmen Grottoes or Longmen Caves are one of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his disciples, they are located south of present day Luòyáng in Hénán province, Peoples Republic of China...
, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the city.
Guangdong Province
In Huilai CountyHuilai County
Huilai County is a county located in the southeast of Guangdong Province of Southern China. It lies under the jurisdiction of Jieyang....
in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, 603.5 mm of rain fell in six hours, the fastest rainfall accumulation recorded there in about 50 years. Three deaths occurred in the province and two are missing, while 550,000 people were affected and 80,000 relocated.
Jilin Province
85 people died in JilinJilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
Province, and 71 went missing due to floods. Jilin is one of the worst-hit regions in China due to rain and landslides since July 20, where flooding first started in June, with over 1,000,000 people evacuated in the province since July, a record for the province, and more than four million affected. 62,000 houses have been destroyed and 193,000 damaged, while direct economic losses reached yuan in the province.
On July 28, several thousand barrels were washed into the Songhua River
Songhua River
The Songhua or Sunggari River is a river in Northeast China, and is the largest tributary of the Heilong River , flowing about from Changbai Mountains through Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. The river drains of land, and has an annual discharge of .As the Second Songhua River, it joins the...
by the floods from two chemical plants in Jilin. Barrels contained some toxic chemicals like trimethylsilyl chloride
Trimethylsilyl chloride
Trimethylsilyl chloride, also known as chlorotrimethylsilane is a silyl halide, with a variety of different uses in chemistry. It has the formula 3SiCl, and under standard conditions it is a colourless liquid, which is stable in the absence of water...
and hexamethyldisiloxane
Hexamethyldisiloxane
Hexamethyldisiloxane is a organosilicon compound with the formula O[Si3]2. This volatile liquid is used as a solvent and as a reagent in organic synthesis. It is prepared by the hydrolysis of trimethylsilyl chloride...
, about of a poisonous substance in each. There were reports that some barrels exploded on contact with water. The Dahe Dam in Changshan Township, Huadian
Huadian
Huadian is a city in southeastern Jilin province, People's Republic of China. It is under the administration of Jilin City.-Administrative divisions:Subdistricts:...
City was breached on July 28, spilling 4 million m3 of water, destroying five villages downstream and leaving 40 people dead or missing. By late afternoon on August 1, 6,387 barrels had been retrieved from the river. Officials stated that tests show the water in the river remains safe to drink. Three soldiers of the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
in Jilin drowned after working to remove the barrels and control the flooding.
In the city of Baishan
Baishan
Baishan is a prefecture-level city in Jilin province of the People's Republic of China. "白山" literally means "White Mountain", and is named after Baekdu Mountain, which is known as "长白山" in Chinese....
, near the border with North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, an island of garbage covering 15, blocked water flow upstream from the Yunfeng Dam
Yunfeng Dam
The Yunfeng Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Yalu River straddling the border between China and North Korea. It is located northeast of Ji'an in Jilin Province, China and Manpo in Chagang Province, North Korea. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supports a...
after it became clogged at a bridge. More flooding rains are expected in the coming days. Forty truckfulls of garbage have been collected, but the remaining garbage could fill 200 more. In Tonghua
Tonghua
-Economy:Traditionally, Tonghua occupied a railhub position in a region of China noted for trade in only three agricultural commodities. These were ginseng, marten furs and deer antler products. In the 1980s Tonghua had some success with a wine distillery producing sweet, sticky red wines that...
, 300,000 residents were left without tap water after the flooding damaged major water pipelines. The water supply to the city was restored by August 4. In addition, 15,702 residents from Liuhe County
Liuhe County
Liuhe County is a county of southwestern Jilin province, Northeast China. It is under the administration of Tonghua city.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:...
in Tonghua were evacuated to safter locations by August 5. Unprecedented record levels of flooding hit the Yalu River
Yalu River
The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....
, where shipping was suspended, and the Tumen River
Tumen River
The Tumen River is a 521 km-long river that serves as part of the boundary between China, North Korea, and Russia, rising in Mount Baekdu and flowing into the Sea of Japan....
both bordering North Korea, while Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture
Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture
Yanbian is a Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province, in Northeastern China, above the border with North Korea. Yanbian is bordered to the north by Heilongjiang, on the west by Baishan City and Jilin City, on the south by North Hamgyong Province of North Korea, and on the east by Primorsky...
in the province suffered its worst flooding in one hundred years.
In Linjiang
Linjiang
Linjiang is a county-level city in southern Jilin province of Northeast China, located to the east of Tonghua, and not far from the border with North Korea. It is a county-level city under the administration of Baishan.-Geography:...
City, also bordering North Korea on the Yalu, three townships were cut off by floods and mudslides, and 38,000 residents were relocated. Between July 31 and August 4, 68,000 residents were without drinking water due to flooding, until it was restored at on August 4 but will take about three more days until the water is potable. Fire trucks were mobilized to provide drinking water from nearby spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
s.
In Antu County
Antu County
Antu County is a county of southeastern Jilin province, Northeast China. It is under the administration of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.-Administrative Divisions:Antu has 7 towns and 2 townships.Towns:...
, 70 homes in one village were destroyed by flooding, while in a mountain valley an area was submerged by floods 20 metres deep, forcing 570 families to evacuate. Damages from the floods in the county exceeded yuan, equal to about 5.7 times the county government's revenue in 2009. In central Jilin, of rain fell in 24 hours since August 4, while fell in a few hours in Lishu
Lishu County
Lishu County is a county of western Jilin province, Northeast China. It is under the administration of Siping City.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:...
in a few hours on August 5. Seven of the 25 medium and large reservoirs in Jilin City
Jilin City
Jilin City is the second largest city of Jilin province in Northeast China. At the 2010 census, 4,414,681 people resided within its administrative area of and 1,975,803 in its built up area...
were forced to discharge, including Fengman Reservoir, the largest reservoir on the Songhua, at a rate of . A 24-hour monitoring system has been set up on many reservoirs.
Workers started repairing fifty-one damaged small reservoirs and fortifying riverbanks in the province after the Songhua River surged to levels twice as high as normal. Premier Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
visited Yongji County
Yongji County, Jilin
Yongji County is a county of central Jilin province, Northeast China, located just outside of Jilin City. It is under the administration of Jilin City and the county's seat is located in the town of Kouqian.-2010 floods:...
during the first week of August.
Other areas of Northern
Northern China
Northern China or North China may mean:* North China* North China Plain* Northern and southern China - rough geographic regions in China* North China * Northeast China * Northeast China Plain* Northwest China...
and Northeastern China were expected to receive more flooding rains, including Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
, Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
, Nei Mongol, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
and Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
.
Liaoning Province
Flooding on the Yalu River in LiaoningLiaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
affected the city of Dandong
Dandong
Dandong , previously known as Andong and Antung, is a city in Liaoning Province, Northeast China. It lies on the border between China and North Korea, which is marked by the Yalu River, and is the largest border city in China. Also, to the southwest of the city, the river flows into Korea Bay...
in early August. Provincial authorities suspended shipping on the river and more than 40,000 people were evacuated from the city, and more rain is expected for the region. Heavy rains brought shipping to a halt by August 19, and by August 21 the Yalu breached its banks. About 250,000 people in northeastern China were evacuated, including 94,000 in Dandong, where four people were killed and one is missing in Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County. The rain and flooding cut rail services and destroyed more than 200 houses. At least 1,200 people were trapped by flood water. This affected Dandong on the Chinese side and Sinuiju
Sinuiju
Sinŭiju is a city in North Korea, neighboring with Dandong City, China via international border and is the capital of North P'yŏngan Province...
on the North Korean side. Much of North Korea's trade with the world depends on Sinuiju, which is a vital lifeline for the country. The river's flow hit a peak of 27,000 m3/s on August 21, flooding 44 townships and causing 158 embankment breaches. Rainfall up to 250 mm in 24 hours was expected on August 23. Water levels at one station in Dandong rose 2.5 metres above the warning level, the second-highest measurement since 1934.
Floods also covered roads and farms in Tieling
Tieling
Tieling is a prefecture-level city in Liaoning province of the People's Republic of China.The population is 3 million at the 2nd of 2004. Tieling is a city where coal mining is an important industry.The mayor of Tieling is Li Wenke...
City, affecting 20,000 people.
In Huludao
Huludao
Huludao is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Liaoning Province, China. It is one of the two principal cities in the Liaoxi Corridor . Known as Jinxi until 1994, Huludao has a total area of 10,415 square kilometers and a population of 2.87 million, of which some 531,000 live in the city proper...
City, ten workers were stranded on an island created by flooding before being rescued, after National Road 102 was disrupted by floodwaters.
Another series of floods left eight dead and one missing in Dandong by August 27.
A developing tropical storm was forecast to bring more heavy rains to the Yalu River region by August 28.
Heilongjiang Province
The State Flood Control and Drought Relief headquarters warned that flooding and landslides were expected to continue in the Songliao Basin (surrounding the Daqing FieldDaqing Field
Daqing Field , formerly called "Taching", is the largest oil field in the People's Republic of China, located between the Songhua river and Nunjiang river in Heilongjiang province....
) near the Songhua River in Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
Province.
Yunnan Province
Malong CountyMalong County
Malong County is located in Qujing Prefecture, Yunnan, China.-External links:*...
in Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
was hit by torrential rainfall lasting seven hours, completely filling a nearby reservoir, which submerged the county. Water over roads was as deep as 1.5 metres. The flooding killed one person and injured 165 others, and 55,000 people were affected in the county while 6,000 houses were destroyed.
In Puladi Township, Gongshan, a landslide in June killed 11 people at a hydropower station construction site. On August 18, another landslide containing 600,000 m3 of mud and rock cut off a town after roads and power lines were severed, killing 29 people and leaving 63 missing, as well as injuring 25 people, 9 of them seriously. Some of the people missing were workers for an iron mine. The chances of survival for the missing people are said to be low as they have been trapped for over three days. The new landslide was about 300 metres wide, and buried 21 houses and 10 trucks. The slide also dammed parts of the Salween River
Salween River
The Salween is a river, about long, that flows from the Tibetan Plateau into the Andaman Sea in Southeast Asia. It drains a narrow and mountainous watershed of that extends into the countries China, Burma and Thailand. Steep canyon walls line the swift, powerful and undammed Salween, one of the...
near the border with Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, causing water levels at its upper reaches to rise six metres.
Qinghai Province
Torrential rains killed 25 people in QinghaiQinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
in July and left three more missing, affecting 41,000 people.
The Wenquan Reservoir in the province, 130 kilometres upstream from Golmud
Golmud
Golmud , sometimes transliterated as Ge'ermu or Geermu, is a county-level city in Qinghai Province, Western China. Administrated by Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, it is the second largest city in Qinghai and the third largest in the Tibetan Plateau . The population is now about...
, was overfilled with of water, while it was only designed to hold , creating a water level 1.18 metres above the warning line. Soldiers and rescue workers built drainage channels to pipe the water away from the reservoir, which would have flooded Golmud with water over four metres deep if its dam burst, and the channels are designed to release of water per second. More than 11,300 people have been evacuated from the city.
Hainan Province
Starting from September 30 Hainan Province received the worst flooding in half a century. By October 7 the flood killed one, left three missing, and affected 1.65 million people in 16 cities and counties.Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
By August, heavy rains and snow melt in XinjiangXinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
caused water levels in the region's 13 major rivers to rise above danger levels. In Aksu Prefecture
Aksu Prefecture
Aksu Prefecture is located in mid-western Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 132,500 km² and 2.19 million inhabitants .The name Aksu is Turkic for 'white water'.-Geography:...
, roads were cut off and bridges destroyed, while 1,000 people became trapped in the mountainous areas. On August 1, helicopters rescued 118 of the trapped people and delivered relief goods to the remaining residents.
Floods triggered by torrential rains pounded Akto County
Akto County
The Akto County is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture. It contains an area of 24,107 km2...
on July 6 resulted in 6 deaths and 2 missing. On the morning of Aug 17th, a 540 meters long bridge spanning the Yarkand River
Yarkand River
The Yarkand River is a river in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. It is one of the headstreams of the Tarim River. It is approximately 970 km in length....
were destroyed by the mountain torrents, incuring a regional block of the National Highway 315
China National Highway 315
China National Highway 315 is a highway in China that runs west from Xining, Qinghai towards Kashi, Xinjiang. It is 3063 kilometres in length.- Route and distance:...
.
Chongqing Municipality
In July, 10 people were killed in ChongqingChongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
and two left missing by July 9. The direct economic damages from the floods in the city were yuan, and 92 flights were delayed due to the floods.
Relief efforts
The Chinese governmentGovernment of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
has helped with flood relief efforts, rescue work and supplies following flooding and landslides in many regions. Donations from Chinese citizens have also contributed to relief supplies. On August 31, the Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China is the national executive agency of the Central People's Government which administers macroeconomic policies and the national annual budget. It also handles fiscal policy, economic regulations and government expenditure for the state.The...
and Ministry of Civil Affairs
Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China is a ministry under the jurisdiction of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, responsible for social and administrative affairs. It was founded in May 1978, and the current Minister is Li Xueju...
allocated 2.01 billion yuan (294.85 million USD) to improve relief efforts.
See also
- 2008 South China floods2008 South China floodsThe 2008 South China floods began on 26 May 2008. Four rounds of torrential rains with landslides and flooding lasted for 20 days and affected fifteen provinces in Eastern and Southern China....
- 2010 China drought and dust storms2010 China drought and dust stormsThe 2010 China drought and dust storms were a series of severe droughts during the spring of 2010 that affected Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Sichuan, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Hebei and Gansu in the People's Republic of China as well as parts of Southeast Asia including Vietnam and Thailand,...
- Global storm activity of 2010Global storm activity of 2010The former article was split into three to avoid confusion between the three periods of storm activity.*Global storm activity of early 2010 – January–April 2010*Global storm activity of mid 2010 – May–September 2010...
- 2010 north Malaysian floods2010 north Malaysian floodsThe 2010 north Malaysian floods were a series of floods concentrated in the Malaysian states of Kedah and Perlis in November 2010. The floods saw around 50,000 people evacuated and left at least four people dead, while shutting down major transport routes into the states.-Background:The floods were...
- 2010 Pacific typhoon season2010 Pacific typhoon seasonThe 2010 Pacific typhoon season was the least active Pacific typhoon season, in terms of the number of named storms and typhoons, on record, due to a moderate La Niña event...
- 2010 Pakistan floods2010 Pakistan floodsThe 2010 Pakistan floods began in late July 2010, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan regions of Pakistan and affected the Indus River basin. Approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area was underwater, approximately...
- 2010 Thai floods2010 Thai floodsThe 2010 Thai floods were a series of flash floods that hit different areas in Thailand. Separate but related floods began in the Northeast and Central Thailand early October due to abnormally late monsoon moisture over the Bay of Bengal, overflowed the Chao Phraya where the rivers meet, and...
- 2010 Yushu earthquake2010 Yushu earthquakeThe 2010 Yushu earthquake struck on April 14, 2010, and registered a magnitude of 6.9Mw or 7.1Ms . It originated in Yushu, Qinghai, China, at local time. According to the Xinhua News Agency, 2,698 people have been confirmed dead, 270 missing, and 12,135 injured of which 1,434 are severely injured...
- Yellow River oil spillYellow River oil spillThe Yellow River oil spill was an oil spill in the Yellow River in Shaanxi, China which took place due to the rupturing of a segment of Lanzhou-Zhengzhou oil pipeline on December 30, 2009...
- 2010 Leh floods2010 Leh floodsThe 2010 Leh floods occurred on 6 August 2010 in Leh, the largest town in Ladakh, a region of the northernmost Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. At least 193 people are reported to have died, five of whom were foreign tourists, after a cloudburst and heavy overnight rains triggered flash floods...
- China water crisisChina water crisisThe Chinese water crisis threatens the stability and prosperity not only in People's Republic of China but globally as well, according to John McAlister from the film Aquabiotronics. According to the World Bank forecast, Mainland China has only a per-capita share of 2700 cubic meters per annum,...
- Water resources of the People's Republic of China
- El Niño-Southern OscillationEl Niño-Southern OscillationEl Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years...
- 2010–2011 China drought2010–2011 China droughtThe 2010–2011 China drought was a drought that began in late 2010 and impacted eight provinces in the northern part of the People's Republic of China...
- 2011 China floods2011 China floodsThe 2011 China floods are a series of floods from June to September of 2011 that occurred in central and southern parts of the People's Republic of China...