A county in the central Chinese province of Hunan has been hit with the most severe flooding seen in 70 years after torrential storms, with local authorities declaring it a “wartime” emergency situation.
The Miluo River – which flows through Pingjiang county and eventually joins the Yangtze – had reached 77.67 metres by 12.30am on Tuesday, the county government said.
That was the highest water level recorded since 1954, and it exceeded the alert level by more than 7 metres.
Pingjiang – home to 1.15 million people – is a county within Yueyang, a city in Hunan’s northeast.
In nearby Miluo county, also in Yueyang, at least two villagers were reported missing after a landslide on Monday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Heavy rains that brought widespread flooding to southern China have battered the Yangtze River region in recent weeks.
A dyke burst in two sections along the upper reaches of the Miluo River in Pingjiang, flooding large swathes of the county, while reservoirs were overflowing.
One-third of Pingjiang’s old town and half of its new town is under water, provincial newspaper Hunan Daily reported. Floodwater in some areas was said to be as high as 3 metres.
More than 5,300 people have been evacuated so far, according to Rednet, the Hunan government’s official website.
Pingjiang has recorded 759.6mm of rainfall since June 18 – the highest for this period since 1961 when records began.
The county’s Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters issued the highest-level emergency response, calling it a wartime situation.
More than 160 rescue teams have been mobilised, with over 15,500 rescue workers involved. Bus services were shut down in the county from 12pm on Monday, while traffic was diverted from some highways in Yueyang.
Heavy rains are set to continue lashing the county until Wednesday, with the weather bureau forecasting 80-120mm of rainfall.
That could take the water level past the record high of 78.16 metres, experts told state news agency Xinhua.
China’s major rivers have already reached alert levels in more than a dozen places since the flood season started last month.
Major flooding is expected in the coming weeks across China, including in the Huai River and the Huai River Basin, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, as well as the Songhua River and Liao River, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.