Expert Xu Xiaofeng warns Northwest China's arid ecosystems and infrastructure are at higher risk of flood damage due to limited water absorption capacity. Facilities in Xinjiang's desert and Gobi are particularly vulnerable.
Historic floods in Michigan highlight flaws in FEMA's flood plain maps, which often don't cover less-populated areas or account for rainfall-driven flooding, leaving many homeowners uninsured and at risk due to climate change.
Tokyo's Chofu City issued an evacuation order at 8:40 AM on the 3rd for residents in the Noga River basin, citing a risk of flooding and inundation. This corresponds to Level 4 on the five-tier alert system, urging all residents to evacuate from dangerous areas.
Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense has issued a warning for thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and flash floods expected to persist across much of the Kingdom through Tuesday. The National Center for Meteorology forecasts moderate to heavy thunderstorms affecting Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Qassim, Hail, Eastern Province, Northern Borders, Al-Jouf, Al-Baha, Asir, and Jazan, with Makkah and Riyadh facing heightened risk of intense rainfall events. The conditions are linked to a seasonal transition period typical of spring in the Arabian Peninsula.
Hong Kong has launched an AI-driven flood forecasting system with 3D simulation capabilities, developed with South China University of Technology. The system integrates big data and meteorological data to provide real-time flood simulations, replacing static risk maps from the previous visualization system deployed during Super Typhoon Ragasa.
