2011 China floods

Last updated

2011 China floods
DateJune 4–27, 2011
Location China
Deaths239 dead, 68 missing
Property damage$6.65 billion USD

The 2011 China floods were a series of floods from June to September 2011 that occurred in central and southern parts of the People's Republic of China. [1] They were caused by heavy rain that inundated portions of 12 provinces, leaving other provinces still suffering a prolonged drought, [2] [3] and with direct economic losses of nearly US$6.5 billion. [4]

Contents

Effects

Conflicting reports suggested that either 12 or 13 provinces and autonomous regions had been hit by heavy floods. [3] [5] Weather forecasts predicted the rain would continue, [6] and the government warned of possible mudslides. [6]

On 10 June 2011, the China's Flood Control Office reported that the tropical storm Sarika would land somewhere between the city of Shanwei in Guangdong province and Zhangpu in nearby Fujian province on 11 June, bringing more severe flooding. [7]

China's Meteorological Administration issued a level 3 emergency alert for the Yangtze on 12 June. [8] As of 17 June, the flood alert had been raised to a level 4 (the maximum alert level) – with 555,000 people being evacuated across the Yangtze Basin. [9]

Severe tropical storm Meari caused flooding in Liaoning, Zhejiang and Shandong provinces, by 27 June flooding had forced the evacuation of 7,500 people, destroyed 400 homes and covered 17 counties including 33,000 hectares of farmland, affecting 164,000 people. [10]

Casualties

At least 54 people had died by 9 June as a result of the flooding. [11] A further forty-one people were reported dead on 10 June, bringing the total dead to at least 97, [12] and by 13 June official totals reported at least 105 were dead and 63 missing. [13]

State media announced that between 13 and 17 June, a further 19 people were killed, with seven more missing from Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces and Chongqing municipality. [9] Later updates suggested 25 dead and 25 missing between those dates. [14]

However, unofficial totals on 17 June (based on the reports from the various provinces) have the casualties at 178 dead and 68 missing.

Official totals from the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on 30 June: at least 239 dead, 86 missing. 36.7 million people have been affected, about 106,500 houses and about 1.16 million hectares of crops destroyed, with a total of 43.2 billion yuan ($6.65 billion) in economic costs. [4]

Economic cost

By 9 June, the floods were estimated to have destroyed nearly 7,500 houses and submerged 255,000 hectares (630,000 acres) of farmland, causing direct losses of 4.92 billion yuan (US$760 million, €745 million). [1]

By 10 June, an estimated 4.81 million people were affected by the floods. [11] Four days later (14 June), a total of over 10 million people were affected, and direct economic losses of 8.7 billion yuan (US$1.3 billion) had been inflicted. [5]

On 17 June, official reports of direct economic losses resulting from this round of rainstorms amounted to 12.85 billion yuan (US$1.98 billion, €1.5 billion), which is more than the combined direct economic losses that resulted from the two previous rounds of heavy rains, bringing the total losses to nearly US$3.3 billion, €2.5 billion. [14]

The Chinese government plans to spend 35 million yuan (US$5.39 million, €5 million) to provide relief to those in Guizhou. [15]

On 22 June, the Chinese government set aside 340 million yuan for flood relief. [16]

Other specifics

Drought still ongoing in some regions

  • by 7 June: there were still 2.15 million people affected by water shortages from the preceding drought. [20]
  • by 18 June: Despite the flooding in many provinces, drought was still affecting parts of northern Gansu and Ningxia provinces. [2]
  • 20 June: Drought still affecting 72.19 million mu (4.81 million hectares) in unflooded parts of Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu provinces and some northern provinces. [21]

Flooding by province

The average annual precipitation in different regions of Mainland China and Taiwan. China average annual precipitation (en).png
The average annual precipitation in different regions of Mainland China and Taiwan.

Anhui

Chongqing

Fujian

Gansu

Guangdong

Guizhou

Hainan

Hainan went mostly unscathed until two typhoons which hit Philippines passed through in late September early October, which resulted in 57 villages flooded and brought water levels in six reservoirs in Haikou to dangerously high levels. [34]

Henan

Hubei

Hunan

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Jiangsu

Jiangxi

Liaoning

Shandong

Shaanxi

Sichuan

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Yunnan

Zhejiang

See also

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