Five people have been confirmed dead and another
five?are?still?missing after torrential rains hit
northwest China's Shaanxi Province?on Thursday, a spokesman
with the provincial flood control authority said.
The downpours started at 8:00 AM on Wednesday. They have
affected more than 308,000 people in 37 townships. Precipitation in
13 counties has exceeded 100 millimeters, the spokesman said.
In Shaanxi province 18 rivers have flooded, inundating more than
3,100 houses and damaging 3,600 houses, he stated.
More than 9,500 hectares of farmland have been flooded, totaling
an estimated 64 million yuan (US$8.4 million) in economic
losses.
On Thursday morning intense downpours forced 37,000 people to
flee from their homes in Yunxi,?central China's Hubei Province,?sources with the local
flood control headquarters said.
Torrential rains lashed Yunxi County, located in northwestern
Hubei, from 3:00 AM to 8:00 AM on Thursday. Precipitation reached
184.3 millimeters in certain areas, an official with the
headquarters said.
The Ma'anguan reservoir in the county reached its warning limit
of 361.47 meters at approximately 6:00 AM, forcing more than 16,000
residents in the lower reaches of the reservoir to evacuate in less
than two hours.
Another 18,000 residents living in villages around four other
reservoirs had also been evacuated.
Headquarters has set up 100 tents for the displaced residents.
Authorities are currently estimating damages.
Across the nation 1,279 people have died and 239 went missing
due to natural disasters during the first seven months of this
year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Civil
Affairs earlier this week.
Wutip, the eighth tropical storm, bringing squall and downpours,
is expected to land in east coast of China Thursday night.
Wutip, this year's eighth tropical storm, is bringing squalls
and downpours. The storm landed on China's east coast Thursday
night.
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2007)