China's disaster response systems are being tested as rivers overflow, trapping residents in submerged cities, with record rainfall expected to continue for weeks following one of the strongest storms in years. During the "Doksuri" typhoon, which reached southern China last Friday, heavy rains fell in the northern region, breaking the record for rainfall over the past 140 years in Beijing, while the densely populated Hebei province experienced rainfall typically associated with an entire year.
As the winds from the typhoon move toward China's northeastern border provinces and rainfall begins to gradually decrease, a vast area struggles to use logistical services to safely drain excess water from waterways and reservoirs, rescuing tens of thousands trapped in their homes. State media reported today that the Hai River basin, where five rivers converge in northern China, is undergoing a "flood development," and that flood control systems are facing their "toughest test" since the floods of 1996.
Official data shows that approximately 98 percent of the total 654 major cities in China are at risk of flooding and saturation. The China Meteorological Administration stated today that rainfall in the northeastern regions could increase by up to 50 percent in August. More storms are anticipated as Typhoon Khanun currently hovers over the East China Sea heading towards Japan, expected to approach the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian by tomorrow, Friday.
