China’s Guangdong Province Faces Major Flood Threat as Rivers and Reservoirs Overflow

Officials Urge Municipalities to Begin Emergency Planning

Major rivers, waterways, and reservoirs in China’s Guangdong province are posing a significant risk of dangerous floods, leading to emergency response plans by the government to safeguard the well-being of over 127 million people.

Unprecedented Spike in Water Levels

In an alarming development, weather officials in the province have revealed an uncommon surge in water levels along certain sections of rivers and tributaries in the Xijiang and Beijiang river basins. The chance of such an occurrence in any given year was estimated to be just one in fifty, as reported by the state broadcaster CCTV news on Sunday.

The gravity of the situation prompted the water resource ministry of China to issue an emergency advisory.

Emergency Planning and Relief Efforts Underway

Authorities in Guangdong have called upon all localities and municipalities to activate emergency planning protocols in order to prevent natural disasters. They have also been urged to promptly disburse disaster relief funds and materials, ensuring affected individuals are provided with essential supplies including food, clothing, clean water, and shelter.

Parts of China, including Guangdong, have experienced severe convective weather, characterized by intense downpours and strong winds, over the past few weeks.

On Saturday, a cascade of heavy rainfall lasting for twelve continuous hours wreaked havoc in the central and northern regions of Guangdong, particularly in the cities of Zhaoqing, Shaoguan, Qingyuan, and Jiangmen. The downpour caused the evacuation of nearly 20,000 people in the Qingyuan area and resulted in infrastructure damage and power outages in Zhaoqing. In Qingyuan, classes in kindergartens and schools were suspended.

Social media platforms have been flooded with distressing accounts of the situation, some users expressing concern about power outages, disrupted phone reception, and the overall impact on rural areas. Video footage captured in Zhaoqing vividly displayed the forceful floodwaters sweeping a vehicle down a narrow street.

During the ordeal, one Weibo user shared the frightening experience of heavy rain obstructing visibility and making it impossible to discern the road while driving home.

Warning Signs of Exceeding Limits

Government weather officials have cautioned that several hydrological stations in the province have exceeded safe water levels. The capital city, Guangzhou, with a population of 18 million people, announced that its reservoirs have reached flood limits.

Data analysis revealed that over half of the observation stations in Guangdong, 2,609 hydrological stations out of the total, witnessed daily rainfall exceeding 50mm (1.97in). As of Sunday morning, 27 hydrological stations in Guangdong were on high alert.

Severe Weather Conditions Hitting Neighboring Regions

Guangxi, a province bordering Guangdong, experienced violent, hurricane-like winds, destructive building damage, hailstorms, and widespread flooding, as depicted in footage showcased by state media. Disturbing videos also captured rescue operations, with responders battling to save an elderly person clinging to a partially submerged tree.

Within the city of Hezhou in Guangxi, as many as 65 landslides were reported by state media as of 10 am.