Hebei issues red alert for mountain floods

Authorities in Hebei province have issued a top-level red alert for mountain torrents as intense rainfall will sweep across many regions through Monday and Tuesday.

From 8:00 pm on Sunday to 8:00 pm on Monday, there is a high possibility of localized mountain flood disasters in Fuping county, and Shijiazhuang's counties of Pingshan, Jingxing, and Lingshou, according to risk warnings jointly issued by the Department of Water Resources of Hebei province and the Hebei Meteorological Service.

An orange alert, the second-highest level in a four-tier warning system with red being the highest, was issued for another seven counties or districts in Baoding, Shijiazhuang, and Xingtai.

The Hebei meteorological observatory maintained its yellow alert for heavy rain at 6:47 am on Monday. It is expected that from Monday to Tuesday, there will be heavy to torrential rain (40-80 mm) in most parts of the province, including the southern part of Zhangjiakou and most of Chengde.

The warning urges mass evacuation in high-risk areas in advance to ensure the safety of the people's lives.

Authorities in Hebei have already evacuated a large number of residents to emergency shelters as relentless downpours continue to threaten the province.

In particular, in Xinglong county, Chengde, one of the hardest hit places in Hebei, the Liudaohe Middle School relocation site has opened two dormitory buildings with over 800 beds for use, according to a report by China Central Television on Monday morning.

Besides providing basic living support to the relocated residents, the most crucial task is to prevent the spread of diseases. Medical staff from various township health centers are conducting intensive surveys and providing medical services in a timely manner, according to authorities at the site.

Recent heavy rainfall has also caused varying degrees of damage to farmland in multiple areas of Hebei. Local agricultural and rural departments have taken swift action, sending agricultural technicians to the fields to assess the situation and guide farmers in fully restoring production.