Relentless heavy rainfall and surging upstream inflows have triggered devastating floods in two counties of southwest China's Guizhou Province, forcing mass evacuations.
As of 23:00 Tuesday, 51,000 residents were evacuated in Rongjiang County, while 32,000 were relocated in Congjiang County by 14:30 Tuesday. The flood control emergency response has been elevated to Level I, the highest, in both areas.
Rongjiang, known for Cun Chao-a rural football league uniting over 100 village teams and captivating fans nationwide-experienced heavy rainstorms from 20:00 Monday. By 14:00 Tuesday, water levels at the Duliu River had surpassed warning levels by 6.68 meters.
Rescue teams comprising soldiers, firefighters, and volunteers have deployed boats and equipment to aid ongoing rescue operations in the affected counties.
In Congjiang County, the Duliu River's water level dropped by about six meters as of 11:00 Wednesday, following a flood peak that passed through at around 19:00 Tuesday.
By 16:00 Tuesday, the provincial emergency department had dispatched disaster relief supplies, including 30,000 bottles of drinking water and 10,000 bowls of instant noodles, to the affected counties using high-speed rail and road transport.
Meanwhile, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced Wednesday an allocation of 100 million yuan (about 13.95 million USD) to support disaster relief in flood-stricken Guizhou Province. The funds will focus on restoring key infrastructure and public services, including roads, flood control systems, hospitals, and schools, according to the NDRC.
At the same time, the national commission for disaster prevention, reduction, and relief launched a Level-IV emergency response on Tuesday, part of China's four-tier system for flood control, where Level I represents the most severe response.
Severe flooding in Guizhou Province forces over 80,000 to evacuate
