China hit by flood again, 3rd time this year.
Dykes of the Yellow River breached, causing the 3rd flood of 2021 for China.
Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces, that are in the Yellow River basin are hit by severe flooding. More than 120,000 people had been evacuated thus far just in Shanxi alone.
It is said to be the largest flood in nearly 40 years in a section of the Fenhe River, a major tributary of the Yellow River in Shanxi Province
Over 1.75 million people have been affected by floods caused by continuous downpours in north China’s Shanxi Province, according to the provincial department of emergency management.
More than 120,000 people have been temporarily evacuated. Some 190,000 hectares of crops were damaged and more than 17,000 houses collapsed, the department said.
China on Saturday launched a level VI emergency response as North China’s Shanxi Province suffers through its the worst flooding in decades, with over 50,000 residents relocated, 166 tourist attractions closed and the operation of 60 coal mines suspended.
In order to ensure the preservation of lives and property, the local government decided to use the Yellow River beach near a village in Hejin city to store and divert flood water, so that the water directly flows west into the Yellow River, easing the local flood control pressure.
Affected by the flood, coal mines in Shanxi temporarily halted production, leading some observers to question the potential impact of power generation over coming weeks and months.
Dong Dengxin, an economist, was quoted by Jimu News that the impact of the Shanxi floods on crops may be significant, but there is no need to worry too much about the impact on the coal industry.
“Shanxi, as a major coal-producing province, is very important to the country’s coal supply,” Dong said. Dong noted that the disaster will have a short-term impact on the country’s coal supply and power supply. But he is confident that Shanxi’s coal production will resume operations quickly after rescue and flood containment measures had been completed.
The flooding is understood to be caused by days of downpour in large part of northeastern China, which led to rising water levels in multiple local rivers.
Shanxi is known to be China’s coal hub, and 27 coal mine had been shut down due to the flood warnings about a week ago. China is currently suffering from coal shortage, resulting in power shortage and power outages. This flooding and stoppage of coal mining is likely to exacerbate the coal shortage situation in China.