Heavy flood expected in southern areas of China, Pearl river in spate

China’s Record Floods: Record flooding is expected in parts of southern China on Thursday, as heavy rains raised water levels in the Pearl River basin to their highest level in nearly a century. Due to the threat of floods, hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from the most affected areas. Among these affected areas is also Guangdong province, which is considered a manufacturing and logistics hub for China’s technical capital Shenzhen. China’s water resources ministry on Wednesday warned of the worst flooding in the Pearl River basin, saying water levels “exceeded historical records” at one place and the provincial capital Guangzhou would be affected.

People were seen making way on the streets filled with water

On Wednesday, people in the city of Shaoguan, north of Guangzhou, were seen making their way through water-logged main streets, as water reached car roofs in several areas. Shops and buildings were submerged due to dirty water and people were seen clearing the debris. The lower Pearl River basin is known as the economic powerhouse of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Along with this, the area is the hub of many small but densely populated cities along with many major manufacturing and other industries.

Million Dollar Damage Estimated

Earlier this week, provincial emergency management authorities estimated direct economic damage of 1.7 billion yuan ($253 million). In view of this dire situation, under high alert, all necessary measures have been ordered to reduce the damage in the risk areas of Guangdong, including the temporary suspension of work in factories and the closure of schools.

People migrated from many areas

Other areas, including southern China’s coastal Fujian province and Guangxi, have also been hit by record rains this month, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee. Although summer floods are common in some areas of China, they have become more severe in recent years due to climate change. On the other hand, Chinese officials have not yet seen this year’s severe floods directly linked to climate change. Some local media have dubbed it the “flood of a century”. It has been said in their report that this time the water level has exceeded the maximum water level recorded in 1931 and the current condition of the area is also being seen like the most dangerous flood of 1915.

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