The days of torrential rains and expectations of new floods led China to raise its river flood alert level to the second-highest level on Sunday when a dam was exploited to release rising waters.
The Huaihe River Commission of the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources said that the ten Huai River reservoirs have seen water levels that exceed flood levels by up to 22 feet, causing an increase in the alert level.
While the Huai River region is now under a Level 3 alert, the areas along the Yangtze River have declared the highest flood alerts.
“The floods are occurring at the same time on the Yangtze River, the Huai River and the Tai Lake … The flood prevention situation is very serious,” the water resources ministry told Reuters.
FLOODS IN CHINA: 14 DEAD IN THREE GORGES DAMS ON THE YANGTZE RIVER AS THE PEAK OF WATER
In central China, the state-owned CCTV network reported that the Chuhe river dam in Anhui province was destroyed with explosives early Sunday morning to release flood waters behind it.
In this aerial photo released by the Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers are seen on a raft moving through flood waters to help evacuate residents trapped in Sanjiao Township of Yongxiu County in the Jiangxi Province, east central China, Monday, July 13, 2020.
(Zhang Haobo / Xinhua via AP)
After the explosion, the water level was expected to drop more than 2 feet.
The blowing up of dams and embankments to discharge water was an extreme response used during the worst floods in China in recent years, including in 1998, when more than 2,000 people died and almost 3 million homes were destroyed.
A woman pushes a makeshift raft through a flooded alley in a village in Yongxiu, east China’s Jiangxi Province, on Thursday, July 16, 2020.
(Chinatopix via AP)
Water levels in many rivers, including the mighty Yangtze, have been unusually high this year due to torrential rains.
Last week, the controversial Three Gorges dam on the Yangtze opened three floodgates when the water level behind the massive dam rose more than 50 feet above the flood level.
Another flood ridge is expected to hit the dam on Tuesday.
DEVASTATING THE FLOODING IN CHINA PUTS THREE GORGES DAM CONTROVERSIAL UNDER NEW SCRUTINY
Since last month, at least 141 people have died and around 28,000 homes have been damaged in the Yangtze River region, affecting virtually all of mainland China.
The summer rainy season in China brings flooding across the country each year, particularly in the central and southern regions. This year, however, the impacts have been especially severe in recent weeks.
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About 1.8 million people have been evacuated and the direct losses attributed to the floods are estimated at more than $ 7 billion, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
In this photo released by the China Xinhua News Agency, water flows from the locks of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River near Yichang in central Hubei province on Friday, July 17, 2020.
(Wang Gang / Xinhua via AP)
Another 23 people have died or are missing in floods and landslides since Thursday, bringing the total death toll to more than 150.
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Major cities have been saved so far, but concern has grown over Wuhan and other downstream metropolises that host tens of millions of people.
In this photo released by the China Xinhua News Agency, water flows from the locks of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River near Yichang in central Hubei province on Friday, July 17, 2020.
(Zheng Jiayu / Xinhua via AP)
There are also concerns that this year’s rains could disrupt the global supply chain needed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, including the production of personal protective equipment (PPE), according to Reuters.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
