China raises emergency response for typhoon, flood

Fishing boats take shelter from the wind near Bohewan bridge in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, July 2, 2022. Chaba, the third typhoon of the year, made landfall in the coastal area of Maoming City at around 3 p.m. Saturday. (Xinhua/Huang Guobao)

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Saturday upgraded its emergency response for flood and typhoon control to Level III, in light of possible floods triggered by the third and fourth typhoons of the year.

The headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly held a conference on typhoon response on Saturday, urging efforts to closely monitor the typhoons, make rolling forecasts, and effectively strengthen flood and typhoon prevention at the local level.

Chaba, the third typhoon of the year, made landfall in the coastal area of Maoming City in south China's Guangdong Province at around 3 p.m. Saturday, which is expected to bring intense downpours and strong winds to the southern part of the country and the South China Sea.

Typhoon Aere, the fourth typhoon of the year, is forecast to approach the East China Sea on Saturday night. Affected by Typhoon Aere, there are still uncertainties about Chaba's route and the intensity of rainfalls it will cause, said the ministry, alerting severe flood control situations.

Anti-typhoon measures should be taken on all fronts at sea, in air and on land, the authorities said, stressing work to ensure vessels return to ports and offshore workers come ashore while relocating people in areas prone to geological disasters.

They also urged strictly guarding against river floods, mountain torrents and urban waterlogging, and implementing effective emergency rescue.

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with level I being the most severe.