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, 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]
National 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 National 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
- Two people were killed and one was injured by lightning in Beijing, where more than 1,000 lightning strikes were recorded late Tuesday and early Wednesday (7 and 8 June) [17]
- On 17 June, rain-triggered landslides buried parts of a railway line between Sichuan and Yunnan leaving 5,000 passengers on four trains stranded and forced many other trains back to their starting point. [18]
- On 19 June: the Yellow River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters launched a 20-day operation to discharge water from three reservoirs (held back by the Wanjiazhai Dam, Sanmenxia Dam and Xiaolangdi Dams) in a bid to clear sediment in the fever. [19]
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]
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