Tianjin Hit with Heavy Rainfall

China Daily, July 27, 2012

 

Rainfall has battered Beijing's neighboring city of Tianjin, paralyzing traffic in downtown areas and submerging many streets, despite the city's precautionary measures.

 

The rain, which started on Wednesday evening, hit the northern part of the city the hardest. Dasi township in the suburban Xiqing district was the worst-affected area, receiving 34.5 centimeters of rain, according to the Tianjin Meteorological Bureau. The city received an average downfall of 14.7 cm.

 

Fearing a repeat of the mayhem experienced in the capital on Saturday, when the heaviest rain in more than six decades caused the deaths of at least 77 people, the Tianjin government was prepared for the predicted downpour.

 

According to the Tianjin Meteorological Bureau, because the heavy rainfall saturated soil in the mountains, it is important to be well prepared for possible geological disasters in the mountainous areas in the northern part of the city.

 

The downpour in the city has caused an economic loss of more than 140 million yuan ($22 million), with the direct economic loss in fields of agriculture reaching 137 million yuan.