China recently experienced its 10th typhoon of the year and its consequences have left the country in a devastating state. Tropical Storm Maysak initially caused excessive rainfall in the country’s southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. But now, the typhoon has caused massive flooding that killed two people, affected about 55,000 people in Nanning and forced about 48,000 residents of the city to evacuate the city.Maysak has caused several reservoir emergencies, with river levels rising above warning levels and flooding in several villages in Guangxi. In a clip going viral online, it also breached the walls of a dam in the area. Authorities in Nanning have confirmed that two people died late last night in floods.The storm hit the southern island province of Hainan on Friday, where flights and ferry services were suspended. On Saturday, it made landfall for the second time in Vietnam’s Quang Ninh, which shares a border with Guangxi. On Monday morning, state broadcaster CCTV reported that the Guangxi Hydrological Center issued an orange flood warning, the second-highest warning level in the region.The Nanning Hydrological Center announced yesterday that the Nanning gauge of the Yujiang River is expected to rise to about 71 meters around tomorrow, exceeding the 69.4-meter warning level. Water in Hangzhou’s Liulan Reservoir reached 111.20 meters yesterday morning, 0.91 meters above its designed flood level, with the Yunbiao Reservoir also cresting.Cracking and flooding were seen in several reservoirs in the region’s Hangzhou city and Binyang County. The Liulan Reservoir had to completely open its gates after its dam burst at 11am yesterday, putting villages and towns downstream at risk. The collapse created a 50-metre (164-foot) gap in the structure, sending a heavy torrent of water downwards, China Business Network reported.In the video going viral on social media, fields and telephone poles are seen filled with dirty water. Far away, on the rooftops, some people were waving for help. More than a dozen DJI drones were deployed in the rescue effort to deliver supplies and evacuate trapped residents. Another video shows a man being pulled from flood waters by a drone with a rope tied around his waist. Media reports quoted reservoir staff as saying that more than 300 people in the area had moved to higher ground. According to public information, the medium-sized reservoir was completed in 1960 and can hold 95.52 million cubic meters of water (3.37 billion cubic feet). It provides irrigation to 40 villages in four townships.Nanning officials warned of the threat of further rain in a flood-relief briefing. He said the difficulties with rescue efforts and relocating affected residents meant the disaster could get worse still. Rail services have also been affected in the area. China-Vietnam international passenger train T8701, departing Nanning for Gia Lam, Vietnam on Monday, and the return train T8702, via Pingxiang city, were suspended, according to China Railway Nanning Group.
Relief efforts continue
Xiao Jiang, a resident of Fulong Village in Hangzhou’s Yunbiao Township, said her brother and uncle were swept away by a flash flood while riding an electric bike near the village yesterday morning. They are still missing. In the township’s Wangzhuang village, water rose to the second floor, forcing residents to retreat to the third floor and wait for rescue, a resident said.Guangxi has raised its flood-control emergency response to the highest level I for Nanning and Guigang and its geological hazard response to level III. The region’s maritime authority also raised its inland flood-control response to Level I, suspending operations at 201 ferry crossings, 371 passenger ferries and 27 passenger routes.China’s Ministry of Finance and Emergency Management allocated CNY160 million (USD23.5 million) in advance disaster-relief funds to support Guangxi and five other provinces and regions, while also shipping 150,000 units of relief supplies.