More than 115,000 people evacuated as heavy rain hits China's Shaanxi
JAKARTA - More than 115,000 residents were evacuated in Shaanxi province, northwest China, after heavy rains triggered floods and increased the risk of landslides and other subsequent disasters.
A total of 49,925 households with a total of 115,756 people were relocated from areas threatened by the latest wave of bad weather, Global Times reported, citing China Central Television and Shaanxi Province authorities.
Most of northern Shaanxi, western Guanzhong, and southwest Shaanxi experienced light to moderate rain between Monday and Tuesday. Meanwhile, other areas were hit by heavy to very heavy rain.
As reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Wednesday, August 5, the Luonan, Tongguan, and Baihe regions were the most severely affected areas. Rain was recorded to have hit 100 districts and districts in the province, with the highest rainfall reaching 136.4 millimeters at Shipo Station, Luonan District.
Heavy rainfall triggered floods in the Hanjiang, Weihe, Danjiang, and Yiluo river basins. A total of 28 rivers and 40 hydrological stations recorded 47 peak flood events, while two monitoring stations briefly exceeded the warning limit before the water level receded.
The Shaanxi Provincial Meteorological Observatory updated the orange-level warning for rain storms and extreme convective weather on Tuesday morning. The agency also warned of the potential for heavy rain, which is expected to continue until Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities warned that thunderstorms, short-lived heavy rain, and strong winds could still hit a number of areas.
The Shaanxi Provincial Emergency Management Department urged local governments to immediately evacuate residents from at-risk areas and tighten monitoring of geological threats. Authorities also warned of the potential for flash floods, urban flooding, landslides, and mudflows.
The Shaanxi Provincial Government also held a coordination meeting on flood control on Tuesday to strengthen mitigation measures as the bad weather continued.