Yellow River, China's second longest river running across the north, is facing the serious possibility of flooding in the middle reaches as Spring approaches.

The middle reaches of the river has received much more water from the upper reaches this winter while less of it has flowed to the lower reaches because the river has been frozen to the surface.

According to the Flood Control Headquarters of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China, currently there are over 1.83 billion cubic meters of water dammed in the middle part of the 5,464 kilometer-long river, 120 million more than the historical record of 1.71 billion cubic meters of last year. The figure should be around 1 billion cubic meters in average years.

Weather forecasts indicate that temperatures for most areas in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River from the end of February to mid-March would be higher than records of ordinary years. The Yellow River, ice of which was thinner than the past, would probably thaw out ahead of schedule.

It was very possible for a violent flood once so much water dammed under thinner ice flush all at once, said experts on prevention of ice-jam flood.

The autonomous region has organized emergency squads of over 53, 500 people along the river. The air force and the garrison headquarters were ready to deal with emergent ice flood with explosion if necessary.

The ice-jam flood is a special disaster that occurs along the Yellow River in spring when different temperatures cause thaw at different time. The floes jamming the channel could have damaged the riverbanks or even caused flowage.

(People’s Daily 03/02/2001)