Managing Extreme Rainfall and Flooding Events: A Case Study of the 20 July 2021 Zhengzhou Flood in China
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Flood Management System in China
3. Methodology
3.1. A Case Study Approach
3.2. Data Collection and Analysis
3.3. Limitations of this Research
4. Analytical Framework: Flood Risk Management Process
5. Case Study
5.1. Study Area: Zhengzhou in Henan Province
5.2. Case Analysis
5.2.1. Pre-Disaster Prevention and Preparation
5.2.2. Meteorological Forecasting and Warnings
5.2.3. Emergency Response
5.3. Summary
6. Discussion
7. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A. Rainstorm Warning Signals in China
Rainstorm Signal | Icons | Activation Conditions | Defense Guides |
---|---|---|---|
Red | Precipitation in the next 3 h will exceed 100 mm or has already exceed 100 mm and is likely to continue. | 1. The government and relevant departments shall carry out emergency and rescue work in accordance with their duties to prevent rainstorms; 2. Stop gatherings, classes, and business (except for special industries); 3. Carry out the prevention and rescue of disasters such as mountain torrents, landslides, and mudslides. | |
Orange | Precipitation in the next 3 h will exceed 50 mm or has already exceeded 50 mm and is likely to continue. | 1. The government and relevant departments should implement rainstorm prevention emergency work according to their duties; 2. Cut off the dangerous outdoor power supply and suspend outdoor operations; 3. Organizations in dangerous areas should suspend classes or business, and take special measures to protect the safety of students, infants and other workers who have arrived at school; 4. Carry out drainage of waterlogging in cities and farmland, and take precautions against possible disasters such as mountain floods, landslides, and mudslides. | |
Yellow | Precipitation in the next 6 h will exceed 50 mm or has already exceeded 50 mm and is likely to continue. | 1. The government and relevant departments should carry out rainstorm prevention work in accordance with their duties; 2. The traffic management department shall adopt traffic control measures on heavy rainstorm sections according to the road conditions, and implement traffic guidance on the road sections with stagnant water; 3. Cut off dangerous outdoor power supplies in low-lying areas, suspend outdoor operations in open areas, and transfer people in dangerous areas and residents of dangerous houses to safe places to avoid rain; 4. Check the drainage system of cities, farms, and fish ponds, and take necessary drainage measures. | |
Blue | Precipitation in the next 12 h will exceed 50 mm or has already exceeded 50 mm and is likely to continue. | 1. The government and relevant departments shall prepare for rainstorm prevention according to their duties; 2. Schools and kindergartens take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of students; 3. Drivers should pay attention to road water and traffic jams to ensure safety; 4. Check the drainage systems of cities, farmlands, and fish ponds, and prepare for drainage. |
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Category | Beijing Flood Control Contingency Plan (2019) | Zhengzhou Flood Control Contingency Plan (2015) |
---|---|---|
Meteorological warning | Before issuing a red rainstorm signal, the municipal meteorological bureau must consult the municipal flood control office, which reports to the executive deputy commander-in-chief and the commander-in-chief of the municipal flood control headquarters for approval. Once a red rainstorm signal is approved, it is released through the municipal early warning center. | The contingency plan does not mention the administrative details of issuing warnings. |
Disaster scenario forecast | The subway is mentioned seven times in the contingency plan. It explicitly considers the disaster scenario of waterlogging in underground transportation facilities (including the subway) during extreme rainstorm events. | Underground transportation facilities are barely mentioned in the contingency plan. The “subway” is mentioned only once in the “Key Protection Objects” section. It does not explicitly mention the scenario of flooded underground transportation facilities. |
Allocation of responsibility for the transportation committee | The responsibilities of the special sub-headquarters for road traffic flood control (commanded by the municipal transportation committee) are clearly specified. | The responsibility of the municipal transportation committee is only to “provide support for the transportation of flood control materials” under a Level I emergency response. |
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Zhao, X.; Li, H.; Cai, Q.; Pan, Y.; Qi, Y. Managing Extreme Rainfall and Flooding Events: A Case Study of the 20 July 2021 Zhengzhou Flood in China. Climate 2023, 11, 228. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11110228
Zhao X, Li H, Cai Q, Pan Y, Qi Y. Managing Extreme Rainfall and Flooding Events: A Case Study of the 20 July 2021 Zhengzhou Flood in China. Climate. 2023; 11(11):228. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11110228
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhao, Xiaofan, Huimin Li, Qin Cai, Ye Pan, and Ye Qi. 2023. "Managing Extreme Rainfall and Flooding Events: A Case Study of the 20 July 2021 Zhengzhou Flood in China" Climate 11, no. 11: 228. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11110228
APA StyleZhao, X., Li, H., Cai, Q., Pan, Y., & Qi, Y. (2023). Managing Extreme Rainfall and Flooding Events: A Case Study of the 20 July 2021 Zhengzhou Flood in China. Climate, 11(11), 228. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11110228