DFO 2003-219

Flooding: 08/24/03 - ongoing (as of 10/20/03)

Northwest China - Shaanxi, Gansu, Hubei and Henan Provinces

Rivers: Weihe and tributaries, Hanjiang

Detailed Locations:
Northwest China:
Shaanxi Province - Counties: Huaxian, Ningshan, Xunyang, Luonan. Towns: Weinan and surroundings, Yongquan, Shangluo, Baoji, Tongchuan, Ankang, Huayin.
Gansu Province - Qingyang, Pingliang, Wuwei, Tianshui, Dingxi and Longnan. Qingyang City
Henan Province - dike breach in Lankao County.
Hubei Province - Yunxi County
Inner Mongolia - Urad Qianqi region
Shandong Province - Dongming County

Rivers:
Yellow River and Tributaries
Shaanxi - Weihe river and tributaries, Hanshui, Weihe, Jinghe, Hanjaing
Hubei - Hanjiang River
Comments:
Largest and longest rainfall in Shaanxi Province for 42 years begins on August 24 and last through September 19. Landslides and flooding reported one third of the province. Over 50 rivers in flood. 22 year record floods reported on Weihe river on September 1 at Weinan city. Embankments near Weinan burst - 250,000 homeless, 38 dead, 34 missing; 318,000 hectares crops flooded; 11,900 homes destroyed. Heavy rains return from September 27 to October 3 prolonging flooding on the Wei river.
Gansu - 7,575 homes or cave-houses destroyed. Three reservoirs damaged. 13,870 hectares of croplands "affected".
Henan - 17,000 houses destroyed. Dike breach in Lankao county
Hubei - 20 year flooding on the Han River, a Yangtze tributary.
Inner Mongolia - dike burst in Urad Qianqi region near Yellow river causes five villages to be evacuated.
MODIS observation of flooding along lower Wei river near Xian on September 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 24 and October 7, 15, 20.
MODIS observation of high levels on the Yellow River in Inner Mongolia on September 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 and October 3, 5.
MODIS observation of flooding along Yellow River below Kaifeng in Henan on October 15, 16, 20.
Dead: 64 Displaced: 670,000 Damages: $240,000,000 Affected Region ( sq km): 471,100 Severity Class* : 2 Flood Magnitude**: 55.7 MODIS flood inundation limit file names***:
20032890310YelloWei219M2comp
20032650535WeiYellow219Ma2.comp
20032530335Wei219M2.39
20032530330Yellow219M2.33
Inundation map of Wei and Yellow rivers in Shaanxi Province
Inundation map of Yellow River in Henan and Shandong Provinces.

 

Map preparation and image analysis: Elaine Anderson

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