The rainy season in China has arrived earlier this year, as a result of the longest and strongest El Nino phenomenon since 1951. With heavy downpours expected, the Ministry of Water Resources says there is a strong possibility that floods will hit the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. In the middle reaches of the Yangtze, about the possible flood situation in the summer.
In 1998, heavy torrential rains rose water levels in the Yangtze river, causing floods that killed more than 1,800 people.
As of May 21st, the water level of the Yangtze river in Wuhan, Hubei Province, has hit nearly 24 meters, higher than that of the same time in 1998. And it keeps rising.
Due to this year's El Nino, serious flooding is highly probable on Asia's longest river.
"Since March, the upper reaches of the Yangtze river has seen 12 big rainfalls. This year's flood comes earlier than usual. Another reason is that the Three Gorges Dam is discharging its stored water now. That’s why we are seeing higher water levels in Wuhan than before," Chen Min with Changjiang Watr Resources Commission said.
"Similar El Nino effects in 1984 and 1998 have caused serious flooding in the Yangtze River. So we'd say that there is a strong possibility that severe floods will hit the area this year. But the climate changes every minute. We will continue to monitor and compare the data," Guo Guangfen, chief engineer of Hubei Provincial Meteorological Bureau, said.
Flood control authorities and local governments along the Yangtze River are drawing up detailed plans for disaster prevention and relief.
In the warehouse of Yangtze River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, relief goods like electric generators, steel pipes, rubber boats, hundreds of thousands of sandbags and stones are ready for all emergencies.
"We have started a 24-hour duty shift in the warehouse to make sure goods will be delivered to areas experiencing floods. Everything is ready here," Ma Bo with Changjiang Water Resources Commission said.
Since April, water authorities monitored the embankment along the river. They found 83 sections of damaged banks along the main streams, measuring a total of 52 kilometers. And on the tributaries, there were 32 sections, measuring 11 kilometers. They are striving to complete repairs ahead of the rainy season.
"After years of repairs, the banks in the mainstream are better than those in the tributaries. For the areas where the banks which are not strong enough, we will start our early warning systems, and try our best to provide forecasts and data to keep people safe, as well as reduce economic losses," Chen said.
The Three Gorges Dam has started to discharge its stored water and brace itself for the potential floods. As of May 21st, the water level stood at 152 meters. China Three Gorges Corporation aims to bring it down to 146.5 meters, a much safer level to cope with floods. It’s expected to discharge a total of 22.15 billion cubic meters of water in the beginning of June.
The flood control authority says the risks of a major flood are under control. But more preparatory work needs to be done, especially in the tributaries of the Yangtze River, where banks are not strong enough to protect the area from major floods.
