TYPHOON VINCENTE CAUSES RECORD FLOODING IN BEIJING, CHINA AREA JULY 24-25, 2012 Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of North Carolina, USA VICENTES PATH ENROUTE TO GUONGDONG, CHINA VICENTE VICENTE: A CAT 4 STORM WITH A REGIONAL IMPACT After landfall on July 24th in Guangdong, China, Vicente became a big rainmaker, causing regional flooding in diverse places like Beijing (the capitol) and Hong Kong. Vicentes flooding was devastating in spite of flood control measures added since the 1940s: dams, km of embankments, reservoirs, and 97 flood retention areas SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS Worst deluge in 61 years One day of rainfall in the Beijing area (18 inches) was equal to 6 months of normal rainfall 100 dead; 38 in Beijing area SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS $1.6 billion in urban damage 57,000 forced from homes Over 12,000 hectares of agricultural food crops impacted, FLOODING IN THE BEIJING AREA The YONGDING RIVER is the largest river flowing through Beijing YONGDING RIVER VINCENTE CAUSES FLOODING IN BEIJING BEIJING-HONG KONG- MACAO EXPRESSWAY 80 CARS WERE SUBMERGED BEIJING-HONG KONG-MACAO EXPRSSWAY; JULY 24, 2012 BEIJING-HONG KONG-MACAO EXPRSSWAY; CLEANING UP BEIJING-HONG KONG-MACAO EXPRSSWAY: CLEANING UP SOLDIERS WITH SANDBAGS: FANGSHAN DISTRICT FANGSHAN DISTRICT OF BEIJING YANGTZE RIVER: CHONGQING (1,500 KM FROM BEIJING) FLOODING: CHONGQING, RESCUE OPERATIONS: CHONGQING, THREE GORGES DAM SUSCEPTIBLE TO RUNOFF IN THE YANGTZE RIVER BASIN VICENTES RAINFALL THHREATENS THREES GORGES DAM Rainfall from Vicente also caused record discharge in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River that ultimately threatened the Three Gorges Dam. WATER BEING RELEASED FROM THREE GORGES DAM CRITICISM THE FLOODING DREW SHARP PUBLIC CRITICISM (FOR CHINA) Beijing has seen tens of billions of dollars poured into its modernization, including iconic venues for the 2008 Olympics, the worlds second-largest airport, new subway lines and dazzling skyscrapers, but --- THE FLOODING DREW SHARP PUBLIC CRITICISM (continued) ASSERTION: The city has ignored urban planning, neglected maintenance, and failed to implement critical infra- structure such as drainage systems to mitigate flood risk JULY 25: MORE RAIN EXPECTED