China evacuates 500,000 as flooding breaks worst drought in 50 years {video @ link}

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jun/17/china-evacuation-floods

China has evacuated more than 500,000 people from deadly floods that are devastating areas in the south of the country following the worst drought in 50 years.

At least 105 people have been swept to their deaths or killed in landslides and another 65 are missing after rivers burst their banks. The authorities have issued the highest level of alarm about dykes and dams under dangerous pressure.

Television channels that were only recently broadcasting images of dried-up lake beds are now carrying footage of flooded homes and boats plying their way through inundated streets. China Daily said 550,000 people have been forced to leave their homes.

The dramatic shift is in line with weather trends identified by the Beijing Climate Centre, which says rain is coming in shorter, fiercer bursts, interspersed by protracted periods of drought.

[buddysmellgood]

1. No climate change here.

[xchrom]

2. indeed. nt

[Strelnikov_]

3. "rain is coming in shorter, fiercer bursts, interspersed by protracted periods of drought"

Which is more or less what we are seeing in the upper midwest, and is consistent with predictions from the climate models.

More and more of the yearly rainfall volume seems to be falling as a product of violent wind/rainstorms. Five inches on one day, then nothing for five or more weeks.

One reason Iowa, and neighboring areas, has been a productive agricultural belt was the historical rainfall pattern of 4"+/month, well distributed, during the growing season (June/July/August).

Now, every year seems to be a flood year.

[Lionessa]

4. Dry ground just can't absorb fast enough. I remember this sort

of thing in Texas. Long drought, then heavy rain and it would just roll off, only dampening about 1/4 of the actual ground, but filling the low lying areas fast and furious as most of it simply slips away to those lower elevations. In the end it was still probably good for the aquifer and water table, but topside it did more harm than good.