Guangdong Province Copes with Typhoon Bhagatsa-Induced Flooding

Flood warnings and warnings of potential flash flooding have been issued in several areas in Guangdong Province, China, as Typhoon Hakkar, the 18th typhoon of the year, brings torrential rain and flooding to the region. The Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources has implemented scientific deployments in water project scheduling, project inspections and risk management, and the pre-positioning of emergency response forces to cope with the heavy rainfall. The province is at high risk of flash flooding in areas such as Jiangmen, Yangjiang, Maoming, Zhanjiang, and Zhaoqing.

Key Takeaways:

• Three stations across Guangdong Province experienced flood levels exceeding warning levels due to heavy rainfall from the 23rd to 1:00 PM on the 24th, with the Hongrao Station on the Bengkanshui River exceeding the warning level by 0.91 meters.
• The Provincial Water Resources Department implemented scientific deployments, including scheduling 232 large and medium-sized reservoirs to release 400 million cubic meters of water and pre-positioning 123 million yuan worth of provincial flood control supplies for dispatch.
• The department dispatched 2,500 working groups with 8,900 people to inspect 14,000 reservoirs and 4,600 sections of embankments, and 78 provincial-level water conservancy emergency response teams, totaling 2,183 personnel, are on standby.
• The Provincial Hydrological Bureau upgraded the flood alert for the Shima River Tangxia Station to a red alert at 5:30 PM on the 24th, and as of that time, Guangdong Province had two red flood alerts, two orange flood alerts, two yellow flood alerts, and eight blue flood alerts in effect.
• The Provincial Department of Water Resources issued risk warnings to the public through its official WeChat account and website, sending over 100 million text messages to residents in affected areas.

Statistics:

• 232 large and medium-sized reservoirs were scheduled to release 400 million cubic meters of water.
• 2,500 working groups with 8,900 people were dispatched to inspect 14,000 reservoirs and 4,600 sections of embankments.
• 123 million yuan worth of provincial flood control supplies were prepared for dispatch.
• 20 million yuan were already deployed to key locations along the coast.
• 90 million yuan worth of local flood control supplies were pre-positioned at the municipal and county levels.
• 78 provincial-level water conservancy emergency response teams, totaling 2,183 personnel, are on standby.
• Seven working groups and five expert groups, totaling over 90 provincial-level water conservancy experts, continue to provide guidance and assistance on the front lines.
• Over 100 million text messages were sent to residents in affected areas.

Sources:

• Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources
• Guangdong Provincial Hydrological Bureau
• Guangdong Provincial Government Official WeChat Account
• http://www.gd.gov.cn/gdywdt/bmdt/content/post_4778236.html