China Combats Floods

Record rainfall hit border river basins in NE China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-04 20:26

CHANGCHUN - The rivers on China's borders with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are swollen with floodwaters after record rainfalls, and more rain is forecast, the weather bureau in Northeast China's Jilin province said Wednesday.

The Yalu and Tumen rivers, both bordering the DPRK, have seen the highest precipitation in local meteorological history, reaching 256.5 millimeters and 147 millimeters, respectively, in the past two weeks. The figures are 213 and 230 percent more, respectively, than normal years.

Related readings:  More heavy rain to worsen flooding in NE China  Persistent rain causes death and devastation  10 dead or missing in rain-triggered landslides in NW China  Yangtze River water levels rise after rain

Rains are forecast to further inundate the river basins over the next two days.

Floods since July 20 have left 74 people dead and 71 missing in Jilin. Torrential rains have disrupted the lives of nearly 4.6 million people in the province, forcing the evacuation of more than 784,000 people.

Over 1.25 million hectares in the agricultural production have been flooded.

The province's Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, which borders the DPRK to its south, has suffered the worst floods in a hundred years this year, with nearly one fourth of its 2.18 million residents affected by the extreme weather.

Torrential rains and floods have toppled 6,847 houses and forced the evacuation of more than 86,000 people.

"Some of the evacuated residents were moved to schools and factories on higher grounds. Some are living in tents and others stayed in their relatives' homes," said a Yanbian government official.

In some of the worst-hit regions, floods have cut off roads, isolated townships and disrupted communications.

Ethnic Koreans account for 39 percent of the prefecture's population.