Local authorities in several parts of east and central China are mobilizing all resources for emergency flood control and rescue operations as recent heavy rains have battered provinces such as Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan, and Hubei.
On Thursday, heavy rainfall occurred in many areas of east China's Jiangxi Province, prompting the province to activate Level-IV emergency response measures.
Many places have managed pre-releases from several reservoirs to make room for expected inflows.
In east China's Anhui Province, Hefei, Lu'an, Wuhu, Xuancheng, Tongling, Chizhou, Anqing, and Huangshan experienced heavy rainfall, with some areas facing severe downpours.
So far, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters have activated the Level IV emergency response for flood control in these eight cities.
Heavy rainfall battered parts of central China's Hunan Province starting the wee hours of Thursday, causing waterlogging and prompting the evacuation of local residents.
Torrential downpours hit Zhangjiajie and Changde cities in Hunan, and extremely heavy rainfall was reported in parts of Cili County of Zhangjiajie and Taoyuan County of Changde, which led to waterlogging.
Heavy rainfall in Shejiaping Town, Taoyuan County, led to waterlogging by early morning on Thursday. Local authorities organized the evacuation of residents in at-risk zones.
As of 5:00 pm on Thursday, over 5,400 people have been transferred, and over 3,500 disaster-affected people have been relocated in Taoyuan County.
On Thursday, in response to heavy rainfall, railway authorities implemented temporary suspensions for nine trains passing through Longshan County in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.
After the trains were suspended, Longshan North Station promptly broadcasted the information about the train suspension and delay through station announcements and electronic display screens.
In addition, the station opened additional counters and arranged for staff to guide passengers in processing refunds or ticket changes, aiming to minimize passenger delays to the greatest extent.
"Although my trip was delayed, the service at the station was very thoughtful. Staff here has provided patient service, which makes us passengers feel much more at ease," said Liu Rui, a passenger.
Torrential rains pounded many places in central China's Hubei Province on Thursday. The downpour triggered floods across the provincial capital Wuhan, submerging major roads during the busy afternoon.
"We are implementing the two-shift system, with each shift lasting nearly eight hours, to carry out drainage work," said Chen Zongfu, head of the drainage team at Wuhan's Qiaokou District Water Affairs and Lakes Bureau.
Relief work underway as heavy rain hits several regions across China
