E. China may have cataclysmic flood year

Nanjing (CNS) -- The flood situation is worsening in Jiangxi Province; so far 10 lives were lost and about 414,000 locals affected, reports the provincial authority.

Jiangxi entered the flood season much earlier than normal and its historical record held for more than 30 years has been reset, which might indicate another cataclysmic year echoing the experiences of 1983, 1992, 1998 and 2010, meteorological expert Sun Xiaoshan anticipates.

Continuous severe convective weather from April 10 to 15 has threatened 41 townships in nine cities, causing farmers direct economic losses of about 580 million yuan (US$ 91.97 million). On Tuesday and Wednesday, rainfall aggravated conditions again after a short reprieve.

In urgent maneuvers about 5,600 affected residents were transferred out of danger while more than 1,900 houses collapsed, according to the Provincial Department of Civil Affairs.

Rainy Jiangxi is located south of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It usually enters a rainy period in April and rainfall typically and gradually approaches its peak in May and June.

However this year, stormy weather started in March and led to mud-rock flows, landslides and torrential floods across the province. The water level in Poyang Lake, China's biggest freshwater lake, also rose one month ahead of schedule.