China initiates emergency response to flooding, typhoons in 3 provincial regions

BEIJING, July 20 -- The Chinese authorities on Saturday initiated a Level-IV emergency response in three provincial regions as the country continues to face severe flooding situations.

The regions involved are Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan, which are under the influence of two tropical depressions intensifying in the South China Sea and east to the Philippines, respectively, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

At a joint work conference Saturday, the Ministry of Emergency Management called on relevant departments to fulfill their responsibilities and improve the response to rainstorms and flood disasters.

More efforts should be taken to strengthen dam inspections, especially in key sections, enhance the sharing and coordination of hydrological and meteorological information, and make good preparations for evacuation to prevent mass casualties, according to the meeting.

The authorities have also maintained Level-IV emergency responses in Sichuan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan and Anhui. Eight work teams from the central government are helping relief work in flood-prone regions.

The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration have issued yellow alerts for mountainous flooding in Sichuan, Yunnan and Xizang. In the past 24 hours, 68 rivers in 12 provincial regions have faced flood threats exceeding the alert level.

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