Editor's Note: Are natural phenomena really natural? These disasters should be viewed from truly scientific point of view.
Toronto, August 12,2000--(Tsingtao Daily)China's Shanxi Suffers 1.4 Billion Yuan RMB Flood Damage While the Drought Situation Worsens in Hubei
Severe rainstorm and flood causing direct economic loss of 1.43 billion Yuan RMB struck parts of China's Shanxi province. On the other hand, the drought situation in Hubei province continues to worsen.
The news from the flood prevention department says that 31 counties in Shanxi province have suffered flood damage through August 10. Mountain torrents burst in some mountainous areas of southern Shanxi, numerous landslides and mud-rock flows occurred. Houses in a large area toppled and croplands damaged. The economic loss and the personnel injuries and deaths are severe.
The most recent statistics showed that 1.54 million people have been affected throughout the province. There were 203 deaths, 20000 toppled houses, 18000 people left homeless. The direct economic loss totaled over 200 million Yuan RMB.
On the other hand, in Hubei province, the drought situation affected over 12 million hectares of croplands and more than 1.98 million people have difficulty obtaining drinking water. On the other hand, in Hubei province, the drought situation and more than 1.98 million people have difficulty obtaining drinking water affected over 12 million hectares of croplands.
The drought situation in Hubei continues to worsen
Wuhan, August 11,2000--(Chinese News Agency) As the old saying goes: "Raining in the west, sunshine in the east". Although the recent heavy rainfall alleviated the drought of the hot season in the Plains of the Yangtze and Han Rivers, the drought situation continues to worsen in the rainless eastern and southeastern regions of the province.
The Flood Prevention Headquarter of Hubei says today that over 12 million hectares of croplands in Huanggang, Xianning, Huangshi, Erzhou, Wuhan have been affected by the drought situation and more than 1.98 million people have difficulty obtaining drinking water.
Since June, in most areas in Hubei, due to the extremely scarce rainfall and excessive sun, the drought of the hot season became worse. There have been over 15 million Chinese hectares of croplands affected. Among these, 5.9 million Chinese hectares are seriously affected and 2.2 million Chinese hectares are withered. The drought area is still expanding.
Despite the recent rainfall in parts of the Plains of the Yangtze River and Han River, the drought situation in eastern and southeastern Hubei was still severe and is succeeded by the autumn drought.
Extraordinary landslides occurred in Yingjiang, Yunnan province
Kunming, August 14,2000--(Chinese News Network) At 12:15 PM yesterday, extraordinary landslides occurred at the Huiliu Hydropower Station in Yingjiang county, Yunnan province. 20 rooms in the four-story employee dormitory were shattered, the fourth floor was rushed into the Ying River and the other three were crushed. 44 people were buried under the mudflow.
Legal System Daily reports that the large scale of the landslide and the depth of the mudflow made the rescue very difficult. Until 22:15 last night, 36 people were found, 9 of them dead. Another 8 were still missing.
LOCUST PLAGUE
Guizhou Metropolitan Newspaper: locust swarms struck the second largest grassland of China. Wrap-up from our press: The second largest grassland of China, Xilinguole grassland in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, was stricken by locust swarms in a large area. Xilinguole grassland at Xilinguole League in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is located to the west of Beijing, with the closest area about 300 kilometers away from Beijing. Since the beginning of this summer, because of the persistent dry and rainless condition, this grassland has suffered an extraordinary drought succeeded by a large area locust plague seldom seen in history. The disaster areas were scattered all over the 13 Flags, Counties, Cities and Districts of the League. It is known that over 4.7 million livestock have been stricken. Among these, nearly 10 percent had to be grazed elsewhere. Lots of grasslands also have nothing to harvest.