Typhoon “Du Su Rui” Causes Devastating Floods in Baoding
BAODING, China – Typhoon “Du Su Rui” brought heavy rainfall and caused destructive floods in the city of Baoding. According to the official WeChat message of the Baoding Municipal People’s Government, the average precipitation reached 353.1 millimeters, with a maximum daily precipitation of 419.7 millimeters. This exceeded the historical extreme value of 400.8 millimeters, making it the heaviest rainfall recorded in the city’s history.
During this prolonged period of heavy rainfall, all 10 large and medium-sized reservoirs in Baoding exceeded the flood limit water level, and 67 of the 83 small reservoirs overflowed. The accumulated rainfall resulted in floods affecting all 22 counties, cities, and districts in Baoding.
The disaster has had a significant impact on the population and infrastructure in the city. As of August 5, the number of people affected by the floods reached 1.1069 million. Out of this, 627,000 individuals were urgently transferred to safer locations due to the imminent danger. Tragically, 10 people lost their lives, and 18 people are missing. The floodwaters also destroyed crops over an area of 79,000 hectares, with 16,100 hectares completely ruined. The infrastructure damage consisted of 4,448 collapsed houses and 7,286 severely damaged ones.
The floods also caused severe damage to the city’s transportation network. A total of 284 bridges were damaged by the water, and over 550 kilometers of rural roads were affected. The direct economic losses are estimated at a staggering 16.995 billion yuan.
As the aftermath of the floods continues to unfold, the city is now faced with an additional risk of geological disasters. The Baoding Natural Resources and Planning Bureau, along with the Baoding Meteorological Bureau, has issued a red warning for potential collapses, landslides, and mudslides in the western and northern mountainous areas of Baoding. Continuous rainfall has heightened the risk level of these geological disasters. Authorities are urging social rescue teams and tourists to avoid visiting these areas to prevent secondary disasters and road subsidence.
Baoding City is actively working on the transfer and relocation of people living in high-risk areas based on the geological disaster risk assessment. This proactive approach aims to ensure the safety of individuals and create favorable conditions for the ongoing disaster relief efforts, including the restoration of traffic and infrastructure in the affected regions.
Source: CCTV news client
Journalists: Wang Shu, Zhou Qin