Author: Lily Kuo and Berry Wang
Published on: 13/08/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
The recent flooding that killed 31 in a single nursing home exposed flaws in emergency planning as China braces for more extreme and unpredictable weather. The rural township, about 70 miles northeast of central Beijing, sits on a plain far from mountains that could generate mudslides and had no recent history of flooding. It came as a shock when that river suddenly burst through its flood banks in the early hours of July 28 sending torrents of water through the streets. Miyun District of Beijing also exposed what local officials admitted were “flaws” in emergency planning. As global temperatures rise, shifting ocean currents are causing more rainfall in China’s typically arid north. Recent flooding in Beijing and neighboring Hebei Province — which killed at least 60 people and displaced more than 80,000 people — mark the fifth time the region has been hit by extreme rains in the last 15 years. Miyun Reservoir had already risen to its highest level since it was built in the 1960s. The authorities had issued a red alert, the highest level, 48 hours earlier. After the deaths at the nursing home, Beijing officials held a news conference. Beijing officials updated urban drainage and added pumping systems to low-lying areas to funnel water away. The Qingshui, like many rivers in northern China, has been dredged and modified for better flood control. But experts say adding flood walls or channeling rivers between concrete embankments has made such disasters worse because the surrounding area is less able to absorb the water. Lily Kuo is a China correspondent for The Times, reporting from Taipei. Advertisement .
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