China activates flood emergency responses across 11 provinces amid severe rainfall forecast

China's state authorities activated Level-IV flood emergency responses across multiple provinces on Thursday and Friday as forecasters warned of persistent heavy to extremely heavy rainfall sweeping central and eastern China through late June. The Ministry of Water Resources initiated the response on Thursday for Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan and Guizhou provinces, while the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters expanded the response on Friday to include Jiangsu, bringing the total number of provinces under Level-IV alert to 11, alongside Zhejiang, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing and Yunnan.

Forecasters identified the main rain belt concentrated in regions from the south of the Yangtze River to its middle and lower reaches, with prolonged rainfall and heavy accumulation expected to create significant flood risks. The persistent weather conditions pose threats to river levels and smaller waterways, with some at risk of exceeding warning levels. Authorities assessed the situation as presenting a complex and severe flood control environment.

In response, the Ministry of Water Resources dispatched three work teams to Guizhou, Hubei and Hunan to provide on-site guidance, while issuing province-specific alerts identifying at-risk regions, reservoirs and flood-prone zones. Local water authorities received orders to enhance hydrological monitoring, strengthen emergency preparedness and improve management of hydraulic infrastructure. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters convened a joint meeting with multiple departments on Friday to analyze rainfall trends and coordinate flood prevention strategies across key regions.

Autorities called on all localities and relevant departments to maintain heightened vigilance, adopt worst-case-scenario planning, prioritize people's safety and implement comprehensive flood control measures. China's four-tier emergency response system ranks Level-IV as the lowest tier, indicating the widespread nature of the precautionary measures. The emergency response framework reflects China's systematic approach to managing large-scale weather-related disasters affecting multiple provinces simultaneously.