China floods

Martial Media, Culture and Other Arts Off Topic
21

seen around once a century

China evacuates over 100,000 as heavy rain continues to lash south
China is facing increasingly extreme weather events as climate change takes its toll.


Qingyuan, in China’s southern Guangdong province, has been hit hard by flooding [Photo by CNS/AFP]
Published On 23 Apr 2024
23 Apr 2024

China has evacuated more than 100,000 people as heavy rain continues to lash the southern province of Guangdong.

Authorities raised the highest level of alarm on Tuesday as the storms showed no sign of letting up. Flooding has already killed four people, with another 10 reported missing, in just the latest episode of extreme weather to hit China as climate change affects the country.

Torrential rains have been swelling rivers in Guangdong, prompting state media to warn of the risk of floods at a level “seen around once a century”.


(Al Jazeera)
Footage from across Guangdong showed flooded villages, farmland and cities, along with collapsed bridges and floating vehicles. In addition to the 110,000 people who have been evacuated, at least 25,000 are in emergency shelters.

In the provincial capital, Guangzhou, authorities have registered cumulative rainfall of 609mm in April so far, which is already the highest monthly volume since record-keeping began in 1959.

The sustained torrent has hit the Pearl River Delta region, a manufacturing hub and one of the country’s most populated regions, for close to a week.

Home to some 127 million people, the region usually sees heavy rains in about September. It has been experiencing more intense and more frequent rainstorms and floods in recent years.

“Please quickly take precautions and stay away from dangerous areas such as low-lying areas prone to flooding,” authorities in the coastal city of Shenzhen – China’s third largest – said as the red alert was issued.

“Pay attention to heavy rains and resulting disasters such as water logging, flash floods, landslides, mudslides, and ground caving in,” they warned.

Hard hit
A United Nations report released on Tuesday noted that Asia was the region hardest hit by climate change in 2023, with floods and storms at the top of the list of factors causing casualties and economic losses.

Scientists warn of increasingly extreme weather conditions as climate change driven by human-emitted greenhouse gases makes extreme weather events more frequent and intense. China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

The China Meteorological Administration said in a report last November that 72 national weather stations registered record daily rainfall and 346 stations broke monthly records during the last flood season.

Meanwhile, the country has also suffered drought and intense heatwaves in recent months.

“seen around once a century” if only this thread was that old…

22

Around 900 snakes, including venomous cobras, escape flood-damaged farm in Guangxi; stranded villagers bitten and rescue teams dispatched: media report

By Zhao Yusha

Published: Jul 07, 2026 04:33 PM

An escaped snake is spotted in a village in Hengzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on July 7, 2026. Photo: Screenshot from CNS

An escaped snake is spotted in a village in Hengzhou, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on July 7, 2026. Photo: Screenshot from CNS

Around 900 snakes, including venomous cobras, had escaped from a farm in a village in Hengzhou, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region after it was damaged by flooding that has devastated the region, with some residents suffering snakebites, media reported. The local city government told media that rescue workers have been dispatched to handle the situation.

Affected by Typhoon Maysak, Guangxi has experienced continuous heavy rainfall, with several reservoirs in Hengzhou, Nanning, facing emergency situations.

On Tuesday, some netizens posted screenshots and video clips claiming that a snake farm in Dengwei village in Hengzhou city was destroyed by floods, resulting in the escape of a large number of snakes. The posts warned nearby residents to take precautions.

Other netizens commented that some trapped villagers had been bitten by snakes and were facing shortages of medical supplies and treatment, according to CCTV.com.

“It [the escape] happened on the morning of July 6. According to our preliminary estimate, around 800 to 900 snakes escaped after the farm was washed away by floodwaters. So far, one villager has been bitten by a snake and is receiving emergency treatment at a hospital,” Wu Zhi, head of the Dengwei village committee in Yunbiao township, Hengzhou, told Red Star News on Tuesday noon.

Wu said that not all of the escaped snakes were venomous, adding that a large proportion of them were non-venomous water snakes.

A local resident surnamed Shen from Yunbiao township told CCTV.com that snake farms are located in both low-lying areas and on hillsides across the township.

Due to the breaches at Liulan Reservoir and Yunbiao Reservoir, low-lying areas were inundated, and snakes from some small-scale farms have escaped into surrounding areas. Shen said some trapped villagers had indeed been bitten by snakes, but they were unable to seek medical treatment in time because they remained stranded, said Shen, according to CCTV.com.

A local snake farmer surnamed Lei told CCTV.com that his snake farm is located on a higher ground and has not been affected by the flooding so far.

Local farms mainly raise three types of snakes - cobras, king rat snakes and water snakes - with the cobras being venomous. Lei estimated that snakes from scattered small-scale farms in low-lying areas may have escaped in large numbers, but added that most farmed snakes in the area live in mountainous forests and are likely to die after being submerged in water for an extended period.

An employee from Hengzhou Emergency Management Bureau told the Global Times on Tuesday afternoon that they were aware of reports that a snake farm had been destroyed and villagers had suffered snake bites, and had notified the frontline workers. Rescue personnel had been dispatched to handle the situation, but no further updates had been received. The employee said more details would be released in an official announcement.

Wu Zhi from Dengwei village said that after the incident, more than a dozen residents from nearby villages that were not affected by the disaster voluntarily formed a civilian snake-catching team. They entered affected areas and went house to house to capture snakes in an effort to prevent further snakebite incidents.

“Team members mainly use fishing tools and electric fishing equipment to catch the snakes,” Wu Zhi added. “Most of the snakes have already been washed away by the floods. At present, only a small number remain on floating garbage and debris on stagnant floodwaters. Most of the snakes captured at the site have been non-venomous water snakes.”

Wu said they have already issued notices urging villagers without professional snake-catching skills not to attempt to capture snakes themselves. “If residents find snakes in their homes, they should immediately report it to the village committee and have professional personnel handle the situation.”