China has terminated the highest-level emergency flood response in Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province, as heavy rains have ceased, local authorities announced on Sunday.
Since June 18, Guizhou Province and neighboring regions in southwest China have been battered by torrential rains, leading to severe flooding. Rongjiang County was among the worst affected areas.
Authorities divided the region into seven flood-affected zones, evacuating over 40,000 residents to higher ground by Saturday evening to ensure their safety.
On Saturday, heavy flooding returned to Rongjiang County, prompting officials to reactivate the highest-level emergency flood response at 12:30 p.m.
To bolster recovery efforts, China has allocated an additional 100 million yuan (about $13.96 million) from the central budget to support emergency response and relief in flood-hit Guizhou Province, bringing the total funding to 200 million yuan, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.
Qiao Qi, chief forecaster at the Guizhou Provincial Meteorological Bureau, explained that the region has experienced strong rainfall extending to the Jianghuai area between the Yangtze and Huai Rivers over the past week.
“From mid-to-late June to early July each year, China’s southern regions, including Guizhou, are prone to heavy rainfall,” Qiao said. This year’s rainfall coincides with the Meiyu season, or plum rain season, characterized by prolonged periods of continuous heavy or moderate rain along the Yangtze River.
Qiao noted that a strong Southwest Monsoon has transported abundant moisture from the Indian Ocean and the Northwest Pacific to Guizhou Province and the Jianghuai area. Simultaneously, cold air masses from the north have moved southward.
“The convergence and persistence of these warm and cold air masses have formed a wide, east-west oriented rain belt spanning from Guizhou to the Jianghuai region,” Qiao added.
The cessation of heavy rains brings hope for recovery in the flood-stricken regions, as authorities continue to assist displaced residents and repair damaged infrastructure.
