An unprecedented storm earlier this week has led to the dislocation of more than a million people in China's Hebei province, as officials warn that it may take a month for the waters to recede in some areas. The province, which serves as a hub for industrial and agricultural activities and is heavily populated by commuters to Beijing, was hit by remnants of Typhoon Doksuri, resulting in severe flooding, devastation of infrastructure, and leaving at least 22 dead.
The storm resulted in Beijing experiencing the most intense rainfall it has seen in 140 years, challenging the region's capability to manage extreme weather situations, an occurrence experts have warned will become increasingly commonplace due to climate change.
Residents were moved to makeshift shelters in hotels and schools, as per reports from local media outlets. Donation drives and food offering booths have popped up on various social media platforms, with local Tianjin government authorities urging residents to accommodate their evacuated relatives and neighbors.
Authorities were pushed to release more than a billion cubic meters of floodwater build-up, from overwhelmed reservoirs and waterways, to flood control zones incorporating residential areas, farmland, lakes, and wetlands. Out of the total evacuees, about 857,000 people have been displaced from these flood control areas.
An official at the Ministry of Water Resources, Yang Bang, conveyed the urgent situation, with upstream reservoirs reaching critical levels and needed immediate discharging, and downstream rivers ill-prepared to accommodate the flood flows. There was also heated discourse on social media about the handling of the floods in Hebei, spurred on by comments from an official on residents' sacrifices to protect the capital city.
One blogger's outcry, saying they hoped in the future they would not have to be the "sacrifice" for the capital, sparked discussions amongst the masses, although officials refuted the idea that one region was flooded to save another.
The disaster underlines the challenges faced by northern China, which faces increased extreme rain events due to climate change. Shao Sun, climatologist and hazard researcher at the University of California Irvine, emphasized the need for enhanced disaster defense capabilities, improved drainage standards, and heightened flash flood hazard mitigation strategies.
No official data has been released about the costs incurred due to property and agricultural damages, however, it is known that under national regulations, 70% of the damage cost will be compensated for properties impacted by water release in flood control areas.
