Rain-swollen Yangtze pushes 3 Gorges water to new heights
Source: Xinhua |
July 24, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A CONTINUOUS deluge along the swollen Yangtze River yesterday pushed the water level of China's Three Gorges Reservoir to its peak this year -- and it may rise further, testing the country's mega water control system built to tame the worst floods.
The water level rose to 158.86 meters at 10am, about 13.86 meters above the reservoir's water-releasing level, said engineers of the reservoir, located in Yichang City, central Hubei Province.
As of 2pm, the water level dropped to 158.83 meters and has remained largely stable since. The maximum capacity of the multibillion dollar reservoir is 175 meters.
On Tuesday flood waters gushed into the reservoir at 70,000 cubic meters per second -- the greatest velocity since it was built. The flow subsided to 34,000 cubic meters per second at 2pm yesterday.
The reservoir continued to release water at a speed of 40,000 cubic meters per second.
Engineers said the reservoir held 8 billion cubic meters of flood water on the Yangtze River during the latest round of heavy rains. They said the water level would drop in coming days but was expected to rise again next week.
Floods in China this year had left 742 people dead and 367 missing, as of yesterday morning.
Floods have hit 28 provinces, regions and municipalities, affecting 120 million people and swamping 7.6 million hectares of crops.
The floods have caused the collapse of 670,000 homes and resulted in direct economic losses of 152.4 billion yuan (US$22.5 billion).
Typhoons are now plaguing the flood-hit regions.
Typhoon Chanthu, the third of the summer, was downgraded to a tropical storm at 2am yesterday. Chanthu affected about 1.36 million residents, killing two and toppling 2,915 houses. It also caused direct economic losses of 2.4 billion yuan.
Authorities in two provinces traversed by the Hanjiang River, the largest branch of the swollen Yangtze River, issued fresh flood warnings yesterday.
In central Hubei Province, officials said pressure is building at the Danjiangkou Reservoir on the Hanjiang, which is already dealing with the worst flooding of the year so far.
Along the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River in Shaanxi Province, floods and landslides had left at least 73 people dead and 121 missing as of yesterday noon, the provincial government said.
About 213,000 residents from 24 counties and districts in the cities of Hanzhong, Ankang and Shangluo in southern Shaanxi have been evacuated. More than 60,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged.
A new round of rainstorms began to pound the region on Thursday. Authorities in Shaanxi have ordered disaster relief agencies and government departments to evacuate flood-threatened residents as soon as possible.
The water level rose to 158.86 meters at 10am, about 13.86 meters above the reservoir's water-releasing level, said engineers of the reservoir, located in Yichang City, central Hubei Province.
As of 2pm, the water level dropped to 158.83 meters and has remained largely stable since. The maximum capacity of the multibillion dollar reservoir is 175 meters.
On Tuesday flood waters gushed into the reservoir at 70,000 cubic meters per second -- the greatest velocity since it was built. The flow subsided to 34,000 cubic meters per second at 2pm yesterday.
The reservoir continued to release water at a speed of 40,000 cubic meters per second.
Engineers said the reservoir held 8 billion cubic meters of flood water on the Yangtze River during the latest round of heavy rains. They said the water level would drop in coming days but was expected to rise again next week.
Floods in China this year had left 742 people dead and 367 missing, as of yesterday morning.
Floods have hit 28 provinces, regions and municipalities, affecting 120 million people and swamping 7.6 million hectares of crops.
The floods have caused the collapse of 670,000 homes and resulted in direct economic losses of 152.4 billion yuan (US$22.5 billion).
Typhoons are now plaguing the flood-hit regions.
Typhoon Chanthu, the third of the summer, was downgraded to a tropical storm at 2am yesterday. Chanthu affected about 1.36 million residents, killing two and toppling 2,915 houses. It also caused direct economic losses of 2.4 billion yuan.
Authorities in two provinces traversed by the Hanjiang River, the largest branch of the swollen Yangtze River, issued fresh flood warnings yesterday.
In central Hubei Province, officials said pressure is building at the Danjiangkou Reservoir on the Hanjiang, which is already dealing with the worst flooding of the year so far.
Along the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River in Shaanxi Province, floods and landslides had left at least 73 people dead and 121 missing as of yesterday noon, the provincial government said.
About 213,000 residents from 24 counties and districts in the cities of Hanzhong, Ankang and Shangluo in southern Shaanxi have been evacuated. More than 60,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged.
A new round of rainstorms began to pound the region on Thursday. Authorities in Shaanxi have ordered disaster relief agencies and government departments to evacuate flood-threatened residents as soon as possible.
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