2021 Henan floods

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2021 Henan floods
Damaged Songshan Road in Zhengzhou after Floods.jpg
Songshan Road in Zhengzhou, damaged by the floods.
Date17 July 2021 (2021-07-17) – 31 July 2021 (2021-07-31)
LocationHenan, China (most affected)
Hebei, Shanxi and Hubei (partially affected)
Deaths302[1][2]
Missing50[1][2]
Property damageAround 82 billion yuan (US$12.7 billion)[3]
Map of the floods

The 2021 Henan Floods were the result of heavy rainfall in China's Henan Province from 17 – 31 July 2021. Weather stations around the province logged record-breaking amounts of rainfall[4] and on July 20, Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, recorded 201.9 millimetres (7.95 in) of rainfall within an hour, the highest ever figure recorded since measurements began in 1951.[Note 1] As of 2 August 2021, provincial authorities reported 302 deaths (292 in Zhengzhou), while over 50 were missing.[1][2] The floods caused the evacuation of 815,000 people, and overall affecting 14.5 million people around the province.[1] The intensity of the floods were believed to have been exacerbated by extreme weather caused by climate change in China.[11][12][13]

Meteorological synopsis[]

Hourly rainfall in Zhengzhou, from 0:00 on 20 July to 12:00 on 21 July 2021

The floods were one of multiple extreme weather events that occurred globally in 2021.[14][15] Several factors were attributed to the unusual and devastating floods in Henan. The subtropical high in the western Pacific and the continental high-pressure area in the Sea of Japan and inland Northwest China contributed to the continuous rainfall in the province. The region, in addition, is at the end of the subtropical high in mid-July, which causes frequent downpours and thunderstorms.[16]

Mesoscale convections were reported to be frequently moving over Zhengzhou, which cause intense thunderstorms.[17] According to the China Meteorological Administration, the main reasons for the torrential rains are Typhoon In-fa, which was 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) away from Henan Province, and the continuous subtropical high pressure that continuously guides a large amount of water vapor to the land, and is affected by the uplift of the Taihang Mountains and other topographical areas. This caused heavy relief rain in Henan.[18]

Impact[]

False color images by NASA's Aqua satellite showing the extent of flooding compared to the situation on 20 July 2021 (top).

From 8:00 on 19 July to 8:00 on 20 July, rainfall monitoring stations in Henan Province measured a large amount of rainfall, including five Chinese national monitoring stations; Songshan (364.6 mm/14.35 in), Xinmi (254.9 mm/10.03 in), Xinzheng (196 mm/7.72 in), Dengfeng (192.8 mm/7.59 in), Yanshi (183.3 mm/7.22 in). Zhengzhou encountered extremely rare heavy rainfall from 16:00 to 17:00 on the 20th. The rainfall in one hour was as high as 201.9 mm (7.95 in), causing serious waterlogging.[19] 13 reservoirs in Henan Province have reached the flood control limit.[20]

Zhengzhou[]

Video by CNS reporter who traveled on a CRH train, from Xingtai East station to Zhengzhou East station, on 21 July
Another CNS video report of the floods on 20 July, depicting Henan Province
Streets in Zhengzhou during the flood on 20 July, depicted by a China News Service (CNS) video report

On 16 July 2021, Zhengzhou began to experience heavy rain. On 20 July alone, the average precipitation on that day had reached 253 mm (9.96 in). From 16:00 to 17:00 on 20 July, the rainfall in one hour reached 201.9 mm (7.95 in); and from 20:00 on 17 July to 20:00 on 20 July, the rainfall reached 617.1 mm (24.30 in) over the course of three days,[21] close to the annual average yearly precipitation.[22] Videos emerged showing subway passengers waist-deep in water inside their carriage and cars floating in streets.[23] The torrential rain was so strong that many cars on a road near the Danshi Subdistrict in Nanlong Lake were washed up by the rain.[24] The Jingguang North Road Tunnel was flooded, with over 200 cars stuck inside.[25] The Zhengzhou Meteorological Observatory issued a red warning signal for rainstorms, and the Zhengzhou Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters upgraded the emergency response of flood control level II to level I.[26] The hourly precipitation and single-day precipitation in Zhengzhou have broken the historical record of 60 years since the station was established in 1951.[27] The Zhengzhou flooding has raised concerns over whether the storm drain system offered sufficient drainage[28]

According to later insurance reports, over 400,000 cars in Zhengzhou were damaged by the floods, resulting in over RMB 6.4 billion in insurance claims.[29]

Xinxiang[]

The prefecture-level city of Xinxiang reportedly received the highest amount of precipitation, amounting to over 260 mm (10 in) of rainfall in a 24-hour period.[30] Xinzhong Avenue, one of the main roads in Xinxiang, was flooded on July 24 and the road between Xinxiang and Weihui was also impassable. The worst hit area was Muye District, a partially rural district along the Wei River. Up to four days after the torrential rains, some rural areas remained cut off from the outside world due to persistent flooding of access roads. By July 26, the floods reached Weihui, where over 1,000 had to be evacuated from a hospital at risk of flooding.[31]A total of 204,000 people have been relocated after severe flooding in Weihui.[32]

In contrast to historical rains where residents of Xinxiang feared flooding of the Yellow River, south of the city, during these rains, the  [zh] and Wei River on the west were the main cause of flooding.[31]

Kaifeng[]

On the evening of 19 July, Kaifeng was affected by heavy rainfall. By the morning of 20 July, the heavy rain escalated to torrential rain. Kaifeng issued a red rainstorm warning accordingly, which was changed to an orange rainstorm warning on the afternoon of 20 July.[33][34]

Rest of Henan[]

Heavy flooding was reported in Henan province, and the Ying River, the largest river in the province, overflowed causing flooding in the area. In the city of Dengfeng, which also experienced flooding, an aluminum alloy factory owned by Dengfeng Power Group suffered an explosion, but no human casualties were reported.[35][36] The military was sent to safeguard Yihetan Dam.[37] In Hebi, the Wei River flooded several villages.[30]

Casualties[]

Mourning for the victims in the flood at Shakoulu Station, Line 5

302 people died in the floods and 50 were declared missing.[1][2] 14 were confirmed dead from the flooding of metro Line 5 in Zhengzhou on 20 July.[38] Six bodies were recovered from the flooded Jingguang North Tunnel.[39]

In Gongyi, a county-level city under Zhengzhou's administration, four people died, as floodwater forced more than 20,000 people to abandon their homes.[40]

Aftermath[]

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for all-out efforts in rescue and relief operations in flooded areas across Henan and stressed that ensuring people's lives and safety is a top priority.[41] Local authorities have been tasked to improve flood controls and emergency preparedness.[42] A number of politicians in China and abroad expressed condolences for the loss of life.[43][44][45][46]

As of 21 July 2021, several major Chinese companies had donated a total of RMB 2 billion towards disaster relief funds.[47][48] Through Alipay's donation platform, 3.36 million people had contributed a total of RMB 100 million in private donations.[49] Another 33 million was raised through a Weibo donation channel.[50] According to the Henan Charity Federation, a total of RMB 2.664 billion in donations was raised as of 23 July.[51]

All bus lines in Zhengzhou were made free of charge between 28 July and 28 August 2021 in order to reduce congestion, partially caused by the suspension of metro lines.[52][53]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ 201.9 millimetres (7.95 in) is a new hourly rainfall record in Zhengzhou since measurements were established.[5] Many media outlets claimed the figure as being the highest in the country's history,[6][7] although the claim is disputed as Xiachen (下陈), Henan recorded 218.1 millimetres (8.59 in) of rainfall during 1975[8][9] while Dashicao (大石槽), Shaanxi recorded 252 millimetres (9.9 in) of rainfall on 20 June 1981.[10][improper synthesis?]

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