Southwest China's Rongjiang County lifts emergency response to top level as new flood wave hits

A new wave of flooding has prompted authorities in Rongjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, to escalate its flood emergency response to the highest Level, as rising waters threaten local communities and force evacuations.

According to hydrological forecasts, the Shihuichang Hydrological Station on the Duliu River is expected to register a peak water level of 253.5 meters around 17:00 on Saturday. This level exceeds the guaranteed safety threshold of 251.5 meters by two meters, with an anticipated flood discharge rate of 8,360 cubic meters per second.

In response, the Rongjiang County Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters announced that the county raised its emergency response from Level II to Level I — the most severe classification — effective from 12:30 on Saturday.

Local government departments have begun relocating residents from the urban center to designated safe zones. Several rural townships, including Dingwei and Tashi (home to Yao and Shui ethnic communities), have reported severe flood damage and are currently coordinating the evacuation of affected residents.

This latest escalation comes just days after Rongjiang County was hit by severe flooding that began on June 24. At that time, officials also raised the emergency response to Level I. By June 26, six people had been confirmed dead as a result of the disaster.

China has a four-tier emergency response system for flood control, with Level I being the most severe, and a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.

Southwest China's Rongjiang County lifts emergency response to top level as new flood wave hits

Southwest China's Rongjiang County lifts emergency response to top level as new flood wave hits

Southwest China's Rongjiang County lifts emergency response to top level as new flood wave hits

Southwest China's Rongjiang County lifts emergency response to top level as new flood wave hits

An increasing number of German consumers are considering buying electric vehicles (EVs) in the face of high fuel prices, according to a recent survey by the largest German online car trading platform, mobile.de.

As the Middle East tensions continue to drive up international oil and gas prices, the cost of automotive fuel has been rising steadily in many European countries.

According to fuel price data compiled by the German Association of the Automotive Industry, since the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on February 28, gasoline prices in Germany have risen by nearly 20 percent, while diesel prices have shot up by more than 30 percent.

Results from a recent survey by mobile.de show that if gasoline prices remain at current high levels, 43 percent of respondents said they would switch to EVs, and 36 percent cited long-term cost savings as the most important reason for considering an EV purchase.

Additionally, the platform's data show that inquiries about used EVs surged by 66 percent in the first half of March.

"We are absolutely seeing much more interest on mobile.de for electric cars. What the German energy transition couldn't do, this current geopolitical situation has done in terms of transition to electric cars," said Ajay Bhatia, CEO of mobile.de.

In addition to high oil prices, government subsidies are also a key factor driving German consumers to consider purchasing EVs.

The German government announced the resumption of subsidies in January of this year, planning to invest 3 billion euros over the next few years to provide purchase subsidies for some 800,000 EVs.

Driven by the combined effects of high oil prices and subsidy policies, German consumers' interest in EVs has grown clearly. However, it remains to be seen whether this shift will evolve into a more sustained market trend.

"How long it will stay is anyone's guess, but at the moment we're absolutely seeing an increase, and sometimes these transitions need a catalyst. And this is definitely a catalyst that is seeing the transition to electric cars speed up," said Bhatia.

More Germans interested in buying EVs due to high oil prices: survey