2021 Henan floods explained

2021 Henan floods
Duration: –
Damages:Around 82 billion yuan (US$12.7 billion)[1]
Fatalities:302—398[2] [3]
Affected:Henan, China (most affected)
Hebei, Shanxi and Hubei (partially affected)

China's Henan Province experienced flooding between 17 and 31 July 2021 as a result of heavy rainfall. On July 20, Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, recorded 201.9mm of rainfall within an hour, the highest ever figure recorded since measurements began in 1951. On 2 August 2021, provincial authorities reported 302 deaths (292 in Zhengzhou), and over 50 missing people.[4] Later, government investigations led to conclude that provincial officials had “deliberately impeded and withheld reports of up to 139 cases”, and that the full death toll was 398.[5] [6] The floods caused the evacuation of 815,000 people, and affected 14.5 million people around the province.[7] The intensity of the floods was believed to have been amplified by extreme weather caused by climate change.[8] [9] [10]

Meteorological synopsis

Several factors were attributed to the unusual and severe floods in Henan. The subtropical high (system of high atmospheric pressure) in the western Pacific as well as the continental high-pressure area in the Sea of Japan and inland Northwest China contributed to the continuous rainfall in the province. In addition, weak upper-level winds, normal for the summer in the region, made it so the storm barely moved locations.[11]

Mesoscale convections were reported to be frequently moving over Zhengzhou, which cause intense thunderstorms.[12] According to the China Meteorological Administration, the two main reasons for the storm were Typhoon In-fa, which occurred 1000km (1,000miles) from Henan, and the continuous subtropical high pressure that guided a large amount of water vapor to the land. The high pressure was affected by the Taihang Mountains and other topographical areas, causing heavy relief rain in the province.[13]

Impact

From 8:00 on 19 July 2021 to 8:00 on 20 July, rainfall monitoring stations in Henan Province measured a large amount of rainfall. Five Chinese national monitoring stations measured the following: 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), and Yanshi (183.3 mm/7.22 in). Zhengzhou received abnormally heavy rainfall between 16:00 to 17:00 on the 20th. The rainfall in one hour was recorded as 201.9mm, causing serious waterlogging.[14] 13 reservoirs in Henan reached the flood control limit.[15]

Zhengzhou

On 16 July 2021, Zhengzhou began to experience heavy rain. On 20 July alone, the average precipitation was 253mm. Between 16:00 to 17:00 on 20 July, the hourly rainfall reached 201.9mm. Over the course of three days, between 20:00 on 17 July to 20:00 on 20 July, 617.1mm of rainfall was recorded,[16] nearing the usual average yearly precipitation.[17] Videos emerged, showing cars floating in streets and Zhengzhou Metro passengers waist-deep in water inside their carriage.[18] Many cars on a road near the Danshi Subdistrict in Nanlong Lake were washed up by the rain.[19] The Jingguang North Road Tunnel became flooded, trapping over 200 cars within.[20] The Zhengzhou Meteorological Observatory issued a red warning signal for rainstorms, and the Zhengzhou Flood Control and the Drought Relief Headquarters upgraded the emergency response of flood control level II to level I.[21] The hourly precipitation and single-day precipitation rates broke the historical record of 60 years from when records began in 1951.[22] The Zhengzhou flooding raised concerns over whether the storm drain system offers sufficient drainage.[23]

The flooding in Zhengzhou left 398 people dead or missing.[24] According to insurance reports, over 400,000 cars in Zhengzhou were damaged by the floods, resulting in over RMB 6.4 billion in insurance claims.[25]

Xinxiang

Xinxiang reportedly received the most precipitation, receiving over 260mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period.[26] Xinzhong Avenue, a main road in Xinxiang, was flooded on July 24. The road connecting Xinxiang and Weihui also became 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 inaccessible due to persistent flooding of access roads. By July 26, the floods reached Weihui, where over a thousand people were evacuated from a hospital.[27] A total of 204,000 people were relocated after severe flooding in Weihui.[28]

Instead of the Yellow River flooding, as was expected as it has happened historically, the and Wei River on the west were the main cause of flooding.

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.[29] [30]

Rest of Henan

Heavy flooding was reported elsewhere in Henan. The Ying River, the province's largest river, overflowed causing flooding in its surrounding areas. In Dengfeng, which also experienced flooding, an aluminum alloy factory owned by Dengfeng Power Group exploded, but no deaths were reported.[31] [32] The military was sent to protect Yihetan Dam.[33] In Hebi, the Wei River flooded several villages.

Casualties

302 people died from the floods and 50 were declared missing. 14 people died from the flooding of Zhengzhou Metro Line 5 in Zhengzhou on 20 July.[34] Six bodies were recovered from the flooded Jingguang North Tunnel.[35]

In Gongyi, four people died, and floodwater forced more than 20,000 people to abandon their homes.[36]

Aftermath

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for all-out efforts during rescue and relief operations and stressed that ensuring people's lives and safety is a top priority.[37] Local authorities were tasked with improving the province's flood controls and emergency preparedness.[38] A number of politicians in China and abroad expressed condolences for the loss of life.[39] [40] [41] [42] [43]

As of 21 July 2021, several Chinese companies donated a total of RMB 2 billion towards disaster relief funds.[44] [45] Through Alipay's donation platform, 3.36 million people raised a total of RMB 100 million of donations.[46] Another 33 million was raised through a Weibo donation channel.[47] According to the Henan Charity Federation, a total of RMB 2.664 billion in donations was raised as of 23 July.[48]

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.[49] [50]

An official investigation on the flood in Zhengzhou was released by the investigation group from the State Council on 21 January 2022.[51] It revealed officials in the province had deliberately underreported at least 139 deaths from the flooding. The death toll was revised to 398.[6] By 23 January, 8 executives, mainly from local municipal construction companies, were arrested by police on several charges. 89 party and local officials were disciplined, including 3 facing prosecution.[52] [53] [54]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: China floods: people still searching for missing relatives after official says four died in road tunnel . south china morning post. 24 July 2021 . 24 July 2021.
  2. Web site: Helen. Davidson. 23 January 2022. Chinese officials arrested for concealing true scale of flood death toll. live. 4 February 2022. The Guardian. The report gave an official final death toll of 398, with more than 95% occurring in the city of Zhengzhou. It did not give details of how many were new cases.. https://web.archive.org/web/20220123005809/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/23/chinese-provincial-officials-concealed-scores-of-deaths-from-flood-disaster . 23 January 2022 .
  3. Web site: https://www.mem.gov.cn/gk/sgcc/tbzdsgdcbg/202201/P020220121639049697767.pdf. zh: 河南郑州"7·20"特大暴雨灾害调查报告 . The Probe Result on "7·20" Torrential Rain-caused Extraordinarily Serious Natural Disaster in Zhengzhou, Henan . Ministry of Emergency Management . 3 . zh:全省因灾死亡失踪 398 人，其中郑州市 380 人，新乡市 10 人，平顶山市、驻马店市、洛阳市各 2 人，鹤壁市、漯河市各 1 人。. https://web.archive.org/web/20220121101915/https://www.mem.gov.cn/gk/sgcc/tbzdsgdcbg/202201/P020220121639049697767.pdf . 2022-01-21 . live.
  4. Web site: 快讯！河南共有150个县市区受灾，因灾遇难302人. henandaily.cn. 2021-08-02.
  5. Web site: Helen. Davidson. 23 January 2022. Chinese officials arrested for concealing true scale of flood death toll. live. 4 February 2022. The Guardian. In a separate news conference, investigation officials said the concealed cases included 75 in Zhengzhou city, 49 in the counties, and 15 in townships.. https://web.archive.org/web/20220123005809/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/23/chinese-provincial-officials-concealed-scores-of-deaths-from-flood-disaster . 23 January 2022 .
  6. Web site: https://www.mem.gov.cn/gk/sgcc/tbzdsgdcbg/202201/P020220121639049697767.pdf. zh: 河南郑州"7·20"特大暴雨灾害调查报告 . The Probe Result on "7·20" Torrential Rain-caused Extraordinarily Serious Natural Disaster in Zhengzhou, Henan . Ministry of Emergency Management . zh:截至 9 月 30 日，郑州市因灾死亡失踪 380 人，其中在不同阶段瞒报 139 人：郑州市本级瞒报 75 人、县级瞒报 49 人、乡镇（街道）瞒报 15 人。.
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  13. Web site: 河南遭遇極端暴雨 中國氣象局：受颱風烟花影響 兩岸 中央社 CNA. 20 July 2021. www.cna.com.tw. zh-Hant-TW. 20 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210720170453/https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202107200332.aspx. live.
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  17. News: Eight inches in one hour: How a deadly downpour flooded Zhengzhou, China . en-US . Washington Post . 2021-07-24 . 0190-8286 . (...) a daily rain total that exceeded 24 inches in Zhengzhou. That is almost a year's worth of precipitation; the city averages 25.4 inches annually..
  18. Web site: Severe flooding in Central China kills 12, traps subway riders in waist-high water . 21 July 2021 . NBC News . 20 July 2021 . en. 21 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210721001447/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/china/central-china-hit-heavy-floods-leaving-subway-passengers-trapped-waist-n1274481. live.
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  20. Web site: 2021-07-24 . Man in central China survives 3 days in flooded garage . 2021-07-24 . AP NEWS . en.
  21. Web site: China raises emergency response to second-highest level as downpours, flooding continue - Xinhua English.news.cn. 2021-07-28. www.xinhuanet.com.
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  25. Web site: 河南郑州洪水淹40万辆车，车险估损超过64亿. 400,000 vehicles were flooded in Henan's Zhengzhou, car insurance companies estimates damages exceed 6.4 billion. live. 2021-08-06. xw.qq.com. 正义前哨. https://web.archive.org/web/20210806151941/https://xw.qq.com/amphtml/20210804A0AVWH00 . 6 August 2021 .
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  28. China Daily, Weihui battles back from record deluge http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202107/29/WS6101fd53a310efa1bd6651fd.html
  29. Web site: 河南省开封市发布暴雨橙色预警_国家应急广播网. 2021-07-21. China National Emergency Broadcasting.
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  31. Web site: 20 July 2021 . Aluminium alloy plant in China's Henan province explodes due to floodwaters . 21 July 2021 . Reuters. 20 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210720162144/https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/aluminium-alloy-plant-chinas-henan-province-explodes-due-floodwaters-2021-07-20/. live.
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  35. Web site: 河南强降雨致69人遇难郑州京广隧道发现6名遇难者. . 2021-07-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20210726125432/http://www.sohu.com/a/479691519_123753. 2021-07-26. dead.
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  39. Web site: Zimo. Chen. 2021-07-23. HK, Macao leaders offer condolences to victims of Henan floods. July 24, 2021. China Daily.
  40. Web site: 2021-07-21. Pakistan sends China condolence over flood deaths in Henan province. July 24, 2021. Pakistan Observer.
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  42. Web site: Ministry of Foreign Affairs DPRK. 2021-07-27. www.mfa.gov.kp. 27 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210727101726/http://www.mfa.gov.kp/en/sending-verbal-message-of-sympathy-to-president-xi-jinping/. dead.
  43. Web site: Pope prays for victims, families hit by devastating floods in China. https://web.archive.org/web/20210726130646/https://www.catholicnews.com/pope-prays-for-victims-families-hit-by-devastating-floods-in-china/. dead. 26 July 2021. 2022-03-10. Catholic News Service. 26 July 2021 .
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  46. Web site: 网友人均30元给河南捐出1亿 刷新了支付宝爱心捐赠纪录 . 2021-07-24 . 快科技.
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  50. Web site: 郑州公交即日起免费乘坐一个月. 2021-07-29. www.dahew.com.
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  52. Web site: Helen. Davidson. 23 January 2022. Chinese officials arrested for concealing true scale of flood death toll. live. 4 February 2022. The Guardian. Eight officials have been detained by police and another 89 disciplined.. https://web.archive.org/web/20220123005809/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/23/chinese-provincial-officials-concealed-scores-of-deaths-from-flood-disaster . 23 January 2022 .
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