Advanced Search

The story appears on

Page A6

November 23, 2016

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Nation

Braced for ‘severest jam flood in history’

Source: Xinhua | November 23, 2016, Wednesday | Print Edition

CHINA is preparing for a new round of flooding on the Yellow River, as a recent strong cold spell caused ice to build up, resulting in ice blockages, the flood prevention authority announced yesterday.

Ice chunks appearing on a 70-kilometer segment of Yellow River in Inner Mongolia on Monday triggered the annual ice blockage response.

Preparations must be made for “the severest ice jam flood in history,” according to the Yellow River flood control and drought relief office, who ordered local departments to closely monitor the situation.

The climate, which is at the end of a super el Nino and the beginning of a new la Nina, contributes to the uncertainty and complexity of this year’s ice jam flood, said the National Climate Center.

In readiness for potential ice jam floods, Liujiaxia reservoir, a major reservoir on the upper reaches of Yellow River, cut its water outflow from 1,208 cubic meters per second early this month to 350 cubic meters per second.

The small outflow will continue until the end of the year and be further reduced to 300 cubic meters per second in January.

Ice jam floods occur in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Water builds up behind ice to form an ice dam, which blocks the river and causes flooding. It usually occurs in the springtime as the river ice begins to break up or in early winter during a freeze.

Nation


 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend