Rescue teams dispatched as rainstorms hit Henan

More rescue efforts were sent to Henan province to cope with the ongoing heavy rainstorms, which have left residents trapped and damaged houses.

As of 7 am on Wednesday, 32 large and medium-sized reservoirs in Henan exceeded the flood limit water level. From 8 am to 11 am, eight areas, including Shangqiu and Luohe cities, issued a red alert signal for heavy rain, according to the provincial meteorological center on Wednesday. Red is the top warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

On Tuesday at 6:30 pm, Henan initiated a Level II emergency response for flood control in 13 out of 18 cities, including Zhengzhou, Kaifeng and Luoyang. The government has asked areas experiencing heavy rainfall to suspend work, business, classes and transportation. People from dangerous areas are being transferred. Methods are also taken to prevent urban waterlogging, flash floods, landslides, mudslides and other disasters.

Some towns in Nanyang city saw water accumulation reach more than 1.5 meters deep, flooding houses and trapping residents.

According to the emergency management department of Henan province, 27 rescue teams consisting of 289 personnel were dispatched to Nanyang on Monday and Tuesday. They were equipped with 81 sets of large equipment, such as drainage vehicles and assault boats. Emergency rescue green channels were opened for them to pass quickly.

The Red Cross Society of China's Henan branch has allocated 377 family relief kits to Nanyang, which will provide basic living supplies to the affected population.

According to data from Henan's fire and rescue team, from 9 am on Tuesday to 9 am on Wednesday, 152 incidents related to heavy rainfall were reported. Among these incidents were 138 cases of trapped people and 14 cases of drainage and waterlogging, with no casualties reported. The team deployed 241 land vehicles, 107 boats and 1,464 personnel. They have rescued and relocated 548 individuals and drained 44,700 metric tons of water.

Given the severe disaster relief and assistance situation, the Henan provincial department of finance has allocated 50 million yuan ($6.88 million) for disaster relief. The money will be used to assist the affected population's livelihoods and agricultural drainage subsidies in the disaster-stricken areas.

The meteorological department predicts that Henan's current round of heavy rainfall will continue until Thursday, with Tuesday and Wednesday being the peak period.