Preparation protects Hebei from rain disasters

Multiple measures put in place ahead of heavy rainstorms in Hebei province over the past two days have been helpful in protecting residents and property, authorities said.

Starting on Sunday morning, most cities in Hebei were hit with heavy rain and thunder, the most severe of this year's summer flood season so far.

The average precipitation in 11 cities from Sunday morning to Monday morning was 36.5 millimeters, with Xiaozhai town in Handan doused with a whopping 228.7 mm, according to the Hebei Meteorological Bureau.

With the rain, some urban roads in the cities flooded quickly. In Ningjin county of Xingtai, where a heavy deluge started at about 8 pm on Sunday, bicycles along the roads were immersed, and cars ran slowly with water up to their axles.

The flood was captured on video by the bureau's Weibo account. The water was drained off in about an hour.

Traffic and mass transit was also affected. In Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital, more than 40 buses were suspended. At the international airport, all landing and departing flights were delayed on Sunday afternoon because of thundershowers. The flights resumed as the storm abated that afternoon.

To control disasters caused by the heavy rains, weather authorities in Hebei issued an alert several days before the rains, while provincial and city level governments rolled out various measures to avoid injuries and property damage.

In Xingtai, residents in more than 300 villages that were at risk of flash floods or geological hazards were all transferred to safe spots in a central location.

As of Monday, no such disasters had been reported.

Rescue teams readied in advance for casualties or rescues. In Wu'an, Handan, 25 trapped residents were quickly carried from danger after some of them were trapped in a flooded house. Others were stuck in vehicles in deep water near the crossroads of Beihuan Road and Tongan Street.

The meteorological bureau said on Monday that heavy rains — with precipitation ranging from 40 to 150 mm — were expected to hit some northeastern parts of Hebei from Monday noon until midnight.

Storms are expected to last until Tuesday. Until then, all designated personnel should remain on high alert and be prepared to protect the safety of residents and property, officials said at a recent flood-control conference.