![]() ![]() "But it's not a replacement for the flood control infrastructure that many of our cities need to protect us from these super big floods and storms that arrive in a short period."Ĭhina launched its sponge city project in 2015 with 16 pilot cities. is really good at slowing down modest-sized storms," said David Sedlak, civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley. "The intensity, the frequency of the storm events is much greater than we've been used to," said Neil Weinstein, executive director of the Low Impact Development Center, a nonprofit group focused on sustainable stormwater management techniques. And because of climate change, these kinds of storms are becoming increasingly common around the world. These systems are catching on around the world as city planners embrace the benefits they provide, such as stormwater management, urban cooling and aesthetic appeal.īut experts say the storm that drowned Zhengzhou was more than any city's drainage system could handle. These cities aim to use natural processes to soak up rainwater rather than sending it coursing through concrete drainage pipes and channels that can get overwhelmed or cause other problems. Zhengzhou is part of a Chinese government initiative to build "sponge cities" in response to increasing urban flooding across the country. Flooding killed 71 people, including 14 trapped in a subway station as waters rose. The central government has set up an investigation team to evaluate the disaster response, summarize the lessons from it and hold accountable anyone guilty of dereliction of duty, Chinese media said.Nearly a year's worth of rain fell on the Chinese city of Zhengzhou over four days this month. About 1.5 million people were evacuated because of the rains and flooding. Henan is an inland county about 620 kilometers (380 miles) southwest of Beijing.Īuthorities said that about 250,000 hectares (625,000 acres) of crops were destroyed and have estimated losses at more than 90 billion yuan ($14 billion). Seven people died and three are missing in Xinxiang, where record rains dropped more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of water in a 19-hour period. The rains headed north in the following days, hitting the Henan cities of Hebi, Anyang and Xinxiang. Children were trapped in schools, and stranded people stayed in their workplaces overnight. on July 20, overwhelming the already drenched city. The worst came after Zhengzhou was hit by 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain in one hour starting at 4 p.m. The government has created an investigation team, state media says Wang Kai, the governor of Henan province, expressed deep condolences to the victims and sympathies to the families on behalf of the Henan Communist Party committee. ![]() The death toll remained at six in an expressway tunnel from which 247 vehicles were removed as it was drained. The previous death toll, announced Friday, was 99.Īuthorities said 189 people were killed by floods and mudslides, 54 in house collapses and 39 in underground areas such as basements and garages and including those on subway Line 5. Fourteen people died in the subway flooding. Video posted online showed vehicles being washed away and desperate people trapped in subway cars as the waters rose. Record rainfall inundated the city on July 20, turning streets into rushing rivers and flooding at least part of a subway line. Ten others died in three other cities, officials said at a news conference in Zhengzhou. The vast majority of the victims were in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, where 292 died and 47 are missing. The Henan provincial government said 302 people died and 50 remain missing. Trucks carrying water and food on Sunday streamed into Xinxiang, one of the cities struck by deadly flooding in China.īEIJING - More than 300 people died in recent flooding in central China, authorities said Monday, three times the previously announced toll.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |