China raises emergency response level for flood control

China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Saturday upgraded its emergency response for flood control from Level IV to Level III as torrential rain continued to batter southern part of the country. From Saturday to Sunday, a new parade of downpours are expected to strike southern and northeastern parts of China, with some regions to see severe convection weather of thunderstorms and strong winds, according to forecasts from the meteorological authority. Some rivers in the provincial regions, including Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Guangxi and Guizhou, have exceeded their flood warning levels, according to the headquarter and the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM). The authorities stressed that the country should stay on high alert and brace for floods and emergencies. On Sunday, the China National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the MEM jointly activated a Level-IV emergency response to floods in the southern province of Hunan. Working teams have been dispatched to the affected areas to help local authorities with disaster relief work, according to the commission and MEM. China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe. – Xinhua