Worst flood season in China since 1998 causes over $29 billion in direct economic losses

[Hamartia Antidote]

Worst flood season in China since 1998 causes over $29 billion in direct economic losses - Global Times

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Staff clean a shop in Ciqikou ancient town, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Aug. 21, 2020. Sanitation workers, volunteers and local residents have started to clean and disinfect the ancient town as floodwater began to recede in Chongqing. (Xinhua/Liu Chan)


Over 70 million Chinese people from 28 provinces and cities have been affected by what is considered the worst flood season since 1998 this year, resulting in more than 200 billion yuan ($29 billion) in direct economic losses, Chinese officials revealed Thursday, while warning some western China regions to stay vigilant over potential floods in autumn.

A total of 751 rivers in China had passed their warning levels and some major rivers including the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Taihu Lake had suffered floods, the first time that three major river basins experienced a regional or above-average flood since 1998, Li Kungang from the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said at a press conference on Thursday.

Zhou Xuewen, a deputy minister of the MEM, said this year's floods have been the worst since 1998 for its wide range of affected regions in China - affecting at least 70.4 million people from 28 provinces - and for the 214.3 billion yuan in direct economic losses they have caused.

However, the number of deaths and missing this year showed a downward trend, Zhou said, adding that a total of 271 people were killed or missing due to disasters, 49.8 percent lower than the average for the same period in the last five years.

China transferred about 4.69 million people to safe places during the flood season, the highest number in recent years.

The central government has also allocated 2.575 billion yuan in relief funds, 195,000 pieces of relief materials and 134 million yuan in flood control materials.

Officials warned of potential floods in autumn, saying that continuous rainfall in some provinces such as southwest and northwest China could lead to floods in rivers such as the Jialing, Hanjiang and Weihe rivers.

 

[vi-va]

Totally under control even under severer flood threat. Some assets lost is unavoidable.
Overall, very successful.

 

[GeHAC]

Direct economy loss of flood in 1998 and 2010 is 255B and 350.5B yuan. If taken inflation into account, it's much lower even with record high precipitation this year. Perfectly justify the necessity for water conservancy constructions these years.
The death toll and missing due to flood is 219 this year, with 54 thousands houses destroyed. Both number is 50% lower than 5-year-average. It's just another common flood season this year.

 

[CAPRICORN-88]

I thought the so-called experts from the West and India are claiming and predicting that the 3 Gorges Dam was cracking up and going to collapse.
Why suddenly so quiet?

 

[Nan Yang]

Floods are part of nature renewing itself. Floods will fill the farmland with fertile silt.