Freezing weather leads to south China evacuations

[nadinbrzezinski]

Source: AP

BEIJING — Freezing temperatures have forced the evacuation of more than 20,000 people from their homes in southern China, as the region braces for more temperature drops in the coming days.

Ice and sleet have collapsed the roofs of more than 200 homes and forced the evacuation of 22,800 people across the southern province of Guizhou, the official Xinhua News Agency reported late Tuesday. Thousands of cars were stranded and some ice-covered roads were closed, the report said.

"People, especially those living in the mountains and the elderly, are being evacuated from their homes," a Guizhou Meteorological Bureau official, surnamed Zhao, said Wednesday. "Roads and homes with poor infrastructure are being impacted by the icy conditions."

Zhao declined to give his full name, as is common with Chinese officials.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40919682

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This is more of our really strange weather patterns that we are getting world wide.

Still think about it, almost 23K people... I am impressed since I know the effort that is involved in that.

[gristy]

1. I don't understand why freezing weather is causing these evacuations

Yes, more roofs may be at risk in collapsing, but there are also risks in moving that many people in that kind of weather.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. It must be heat related as well

the article is not that clear.

We have done small scale evacuations south of the border, where the houses are flimsy. So we used to take people to centers that were heated, had hot food, hot drink, and chiefly blankets... that people were able to take home.

If a house is flimsy and it is very cold, your worry is not necessarily the roof collapsing, but people freezing to death.

[bettyellen]

3. China has the worlds biggest annual migration of humans on the planet during their own New Years

holiday. Everything closes, and everyone goes home for what is often the only week (or two) they have off all year. So many people work very far from family.
Last year there was very bad weather that disrupted it, I truly hope the weather breaks and it causes no disruption to their holiday which is coming up in a few weeks.
Anyway, if anyone has the ability to move this many people efficiently, its the Chinese.

[dkf]

5. Interesting.

[Skittles]

4. dup

[KillCapitalism]

6. Cold everywhere.

Freezing is Southern China, freezing in South Florida, snow in LA...this has been one fucked up winter.

It makes you wonder if global warming is triggering a new ice age.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Extreme weather events are predicted by the science

Why global warming was the wrong term.

[SpiralHawk]

8. Correct term: Global Climate Chaos

That's what it is. Freeper-Birfer-Deniers (R) can whine all they want, and spout their lies. It is chaos. And the corporately-manipulated deniers (R), like everyone else, will have to deal with it.

[Odin2005]

10. Strong La Nina + Strong Arctic Oscillation + GW = this wacky weather

Essentially what is going on is that very strong low pressure systems are equalizing the temperature contrasts between the Arctic and North Temperate zones, leading to cooler than normal weather in the Temperate regions and warmer than normal weather in the Arctic.

If you watch the Climate models on WeatherUnderground you can see this at work, a powerful system on the US east coast will drive cold arctic air southward, then westward, and also drive warm subtropical air northward to Labrador and then eastward over the Canadian arctic. As the east coast storm dies it retrogresses northwestward, further driving warm air into the arctic. Northern Quebec will often be much warmer than places to the south.

[daleo]

13. It's toasty warm in the high arctic today

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/nu-21_metric_e.html

The anomalous jet stream is creating anomalous weather. Hot in the north, cold in the south (well, in part anyway).

[Duppers]

9. It's called bifurcations

It's what all systems go through before a huge semi-permanent (most are not permanent) change is about to happen. These swings were predicted in global climate change. And they'll become more frequent.

[KillCapitalism]

11. I'm worried it's going to be another ice age.

It won't be fun when Miami starts to have winters like Fargo traditionally does.

[Duppers]

12. no doubt it will

*after* it warms up like heck.