China raises emergency response as Typhoon Noul nears

BEIJING - China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Saturday raised its emergency response for flood and typhoon control in Guangdong province to Level III as Typhoon Noul intensified, while activating a Level IV flood emergency response for Jiangxi and Hunan provinces.

Typhoon Noul, the 12th typhoon of the year, is expected to make landfall along the coast between Hong Kong and Huilai in Guangdong province between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

Affected by the typhoon, parts of the northeastern South China Sea, the eastern coast of Guangdong and the Pearl River Estuary are expected to experience gusts of force 12 to 13. Heavy rainfall is forecast for parts of Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi.

On Saturday, the headquarters office and the Ministry of Emergency Management held a joint consultation with the China Meteorological Administration, the Ministry of Water Resources, and authorities from nine provincial-level regions, including Guangdong and Fujian, to discuss flood and typhoon control efforts.

The meeting called for a thorough assessment of people and key facilities in typhoon-prone areas, urging local authorities to relocate residents in high-risk zones as early as possible and ensure no one is left behind.

Authorities were also instructed to strengthen disaster assessment and position emergency rescue forces in vulnerable areas. They were urged to guard against mountain floods, geological disasters, flooding of small and medium-sized rivers, risks to small and medium-sized reservoirs and urban waterlogging, while stepping up reservoir inspections to ensure safe operations and smooth flood discharge.