Rivers, waterways and large reservoirs in Guangdong province, China are threatening to cause dangerous flooding, forcing the government on April 21 to issue an emergency response plan to protect more than 127 million people.
calling the situation "serious", local officials said that the river sections and dependencies in the Tay Giang and Bac Giang river basins are reaching the highest water level that has only occurred once in the past 50 years - according to state broadcaster CCTV on April 21.
CCTV quoted China's Ministry of Water Resources as saying that large-scale flooding is possible in the Bac Giang basin, prompting the agency to issue an urgent warning.
Quang Dong authorities called on departments and branches in all localities and cities to start making emergency plans to prevent natural disasters and promptly allocate funds and disaster relief supplies so that affected people have food, clothing, drinking water and accommodation.
The province has been hit by heavy rains and strong winds since the evening of April 20, as severe convective weather has affected parts of China in recent weeks.
A 12-hour heavy rain, starting at 8:00 p.m. on April 20, hit the central and northern areas of Quang Dong province in Trieu Khanh, Thieu Quan, Thanh Vien and Giang Mon.
According to state media, nearly 20,000 people have been evacuated in Thanh Vien. Some power facilities in Trieu Khanh were damaged, causing power outages in some places.
Hoai Tap district in Trieu Khanh has become a water district. The elderly and children in rural areas do not know what to do when there is a power outage, said a Weibo social network user.
The fierce flood brought mud and mud, sweeping away vehicles on a narrow street in Trieu Khanh, according to a video published by Hongxing News.
Another netizen said: "Last night, it rained like a waterfall for an hour and a half on the highway, driving home. I couldn't see the road at all.
Weather forecasters warned on April 21 that many hydrological stations in the province are exceeding safe water levels. In the capital of Guangzhou, a city of 18 million people, reservoirs have reached the flood limit.
Data shows that 2,609 hydrological stations have daily rainfall greater than 50mm, accounting for about 59% of the total number of monitoring stations. By 8:00 a.m. on April 21, 27 hydrological stations in Quang Dong were in a state of alarm.
In the vicinity of Guangxi, west of Guangdong, strong winds like storms destroyed buildings. According to video footage provided by CCTV, some areas have also suffered heavy hail and flooding.
In another video, it can be seen that rescue forces are trying to rescue an elderly person who was clinging to a half-flooded tree.
