In 2014, the national flood disaster situation was generally mild

Reporters learned from the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters that in 2014 China's flood control and drought relief work achieved remarkable results. No major dikes nationwide breached, no large or medium-sized reservoirs collapsed, and the number of deaths from floods nationwide was the lowest in history. Over the year, the flood-affected population was reduced by 19.9 million, 20.08 million mu of cropland was saved from inundation, 2.98 million tons of grain losses from floods were avoided, 93 cities at or above the county level were prevented from being inundated, and the flood control and disaster reduction benefit reached 37.9 billion yuan. Drought relief recovered 31.39 million tons of grain and 29.8 billion yuan in cash crop losses, and resolved drinking water difficulties caused by drought for 16.56 million people and 7.9 million large livestock.

Shu Qingpeng, deputy director and press spokesman of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Office, said that in 2014, floods and droughts occurred alternately in China, coastal areas were hit by strong typhoons, floods in small and medium-sized rivers and flash flood and geological disasters in some areas were severe, spring drought occurred in the north and southwest, and severe summer and autumn drought occurred in parts of the northeast and Huang-Huai region. Among them, rainfall in Henan Province was only 96 mm, the lowest for the same period since 1961; winter wheat areas in the north, southern northeast and parts of Huang-Huai region successively experienced winter-spring drought and summer-autumn drought. At the peak of the drought in August, the drought-affected crop area nationwide reached 83.95 million mu, and 2.46 million people had drinking water difficulties due to drought. In 2014, 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps nationwide had 73.82 million people affected, 485 dead and 92 missing, 88.78 million mu of crops affected, 260,000 houses collapsed, and direct economic losses of 157.4 billion yuan. Compared with the average since 2000, the number of deaths due to disasters was 70% lower, the lowest in history, the affected population was 40% lower, the affected area was 50% lower, and collapsed houses were 80% lower.