Red Flood Warning in Jiangsu Province, China

World's Largest Artificial Dam, Three Gorges Dam, Exceeds Danger Water Level
Flood Warning for Korean Companies in Nanjing and Lower Yangtze River

The world's largest dam, China's Three Gorges Dam, is releasing water as continuous heavy rains for over a month have brought the dam's water level close to its maximum capacity, raising concerns.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Flood red alert (Level 1) has been issued in Jiangsu Province, China, as flood damage in China continues to grow like a snowball.

The Three Gorges Dam, which has reached a dangerous water level, has begun large-scale discharge, making damage inevitable in the lower Yangtze River areas such as Jiangsu Province. Damage to Korean companies operating in Nanjing and other areas is also a concern.

According to Chinese media including Xinhua News on the 20th, the Flood Prevention Command of Jingjiang City, Jiangsu Province, issued a flood red alert starting at 8 p.m. on the 19th. The flood red alert was issued because the water level of the Three Gorges Dam exceeded the maximum control water level for danger.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) and Apple Daily reported that due to continuous heavy rain for over a month, the water level of the Three Gorges Dam surged to 163.85 meters as of 11 a.m. on the 19th. This exceeds the flood control water level of 145 meters by nearly 19 meters and is only about 11 meters below the maximum water level of 175 meters.

Some voices have raised concerns about the potential collapse of the Three Gorges Dam. Construction began in 1994 and was completed in 2009. The maximum reservoir capacity of the Three Gorges Dam reaches 40 billion tons, more than 13 times the capacity of Korea's Soyang Dam. At the time of completion, there were even claims that the Earth's axis could be altered due to the dam.

The Three Gorges Dam has started large-scale discharge, and a Level 1 flood alert has been issued for the lower Yangtze River region. The Yangtze River Water Resources Commission reported that as of the 18th, 45,000 cubic meters of water per second were flowing into the Three Gorges Dam, and it is forecasted that up to 70,000 cubic meters per second will surge by the 22nd.

To make matters worse, heavy rain of 200 to 300 mm fell over the weekend in Henan, Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Chongqing.

As a result of this heavy rain, 433 rivers have overflowed, 141 people have died, and 38.73 million people have been displaced.