CHINA: Extreme Flooding Worst in 50 Years or More
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| flood and fall (Photo credit: mosesofmason) |
Rainstorms reported as the worst in 50 years, have ravaged the Sichuan province of China, in what has been a waterlogged week for the area. Torrential rain has battered the region resulting in large-scale damage and loss of life.
Large areas of the region have been affected, with bridges washed away, a landslide burying 30 people Wednesday, homes gone and hundreds of people trapped in a tunnel.
Emergency services face a tough task as floodwaters continue to rise and turn calm waterways into powerful raging masses. Roads washed away or underwater make rescue efforts tricky, to say the least.
In 2008, an earthquake in the region caused major problems. The area has only recently recovered from that event and now faces the savagery of the elements once more. Current flooding has swept away a memorial to the victims of the earthquake, buried homes and resulted in deaths.
The Guardian reports that:
Meanwhile, to the north-east, at least 12 workers were killed when a violent rainstorm caused the collapse of a workshop they were building at a coal mine in Jinzhong. The accident on Tuesday night came amid heavy rain and high winds across a swath of northern China, including the capital, Beijing.
All week rains have battered parts of China causing rivers to overflow. Worst hit are the mountainous areas of Sichuan, an area renowned for its scenery and beauty.
Homes have been buried in these latest floods leaving many people questioning the increase in construction sites in the region. Balancing economic needs against the environment is vital for us all.
Extreme weather has caused problems in many countries during the 21st century. This year alone, China has faced tough flooding challenges that have killed 701 people, left 347 missing and caused damages amounting to billions of dollars, a senior Chinese official said.
Another Guardian reports says:
Three-quarters of China's provinces have been hit by flooding and 25 rivers have seen record high water levels, causing the worst death toll in a decade, Liu Ning, general secretary of the government's flood prevention agency, told a news conference.
Aside from the dead and missing, 645,000 houses were toppled and overall damage totalled 142.2bn yuan (£13.7bn). All the figures, Liu said, were the highest China had seen since 2000.
Whether it is natural weather cycles, global warming or climate change, world leaders and populations face some tough times ahead unless we can control our weather.
source: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/14969220-china-extreme-flooding-causes-worst-death-toll-in-10-years-video
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