China's State Headquarters for Flood and Drought Control has activated a level-four emergency response for flood control in Hubei Province and Chongqing Municipality due to heavy rainfall.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing the Xinhua news agency and the country's Ministry of Emergency Management, that a working group has been dispatched to Hubei Province to assist with local flood prevention and rescue operations.
Furthermore, the headquarters held consultations with relevant ministries and departments to coordinate flood control measures ahead of a new wave of torrential rains forecast for May 23-27. According to recent reports, heavy rains in central China have already left seven people dead and 14 others missing.
China operates a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level 1 being the most severe and Level 4 representing the initial warning stage. Seasonal flooding is a recurring challenge in central and southern China during the late spring and summer months, often prompting large-scale evacuations, agricultural damage, and the mobilization of national emergency resources to mitigate infrastructure risks along major river basins.
