Chapter IV Emergency Response

Article 34 The weather stations subordinate to the competent meteorological institutions at various levels shall timely report to the people's governments at the corresponding levels and relevant departments the forecasts and warnings for severe weather and the relevant information about meteorological disasters.

According to the severe weather warnings, meteorological disaster early warning signals and meteorological disaster emergency response plans as well as the standards for launching such plans, the local people's governments at or above the county level and relevant departments shall make timely decisions on launching of the corresponding emergency response plans, publicize them to the society, and report the matter to the people's governments at the next higher level and, if necessary, report the matter to the government above their administrative levels, and inform the local garrisons and the people's governments in the adjacent areas under potential threats.

Article 35 Local people's governments at or above the county level shall temporarily announce, in accordance with the extent and intensity of severe weather, the region where casualties or major property damages most likely occur as a dangerous zone under threat of meteorological disasters, and make public announcements in time.

Article 36 The local people's governments at or above the county level and the relevant departments shall, in light of the situations of meteorological disasters, take emergency-response measures in time, in accordance with the provisions of the Emergency Response Law of the People's Republic of China; in case of emergency, they shall immediately mobilize and organize people under threat of the disasters to relocate, disperse and conduct self-rescues and mutual rescues.

All units and individuals shall cooperate in implementing the emergency response measures for handling meteorological disaster by the local people's governments and relevant departments, and shall not hinder the rescue and relief activities against the disasters.

Article 37 Once the meteorological disaster emergency response plan is launched, the competent meteorological institutions at various levels shall organize their weather stations to enhance the monitoring of and assessments on the disasters, initiate the use of the emergency mobile meteorological facilities for disaster monitoring, provide on-site meteorological services, and report in a timely manner to the people's government and relevant departments at the corresponding level the real situation of severe weather, changing trends and assessment results, so as to provide a basis for the people's government to make decisions on prevention of and preparedness for the disasters.

Article 38 The relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall well carry out the corresponding emergency responses in accordance with their respective functions and duties.

The civil affairs departments shall set up refuge shelters and supply sites for distribution of relief goods, carry out rescue and relief work for the affected people, and shall investigate disaster situations and release disaster information in accordance with the prescribed functions duties.

The competent health departments shall organize emergency responses such as medical treatments, sanitations and preventions of epidemic diseases.

The transport departments including railways and other relevant departments shall give the priority to the transportation of relief goods, equipments, medicines, food, and repair ruined roads and transportation facilities.

The housing and urban-rural development departments shall ensure the safe operation of utilities such as water, gas and heat supplies.

The electric power and telecommunications departments shall well arrange for the emergency guaranty work with respect to electric power and telecommunications.

The land resources departments shall arrange for the work to monitor and prevent geological disasters.

The competent agricultural departments shall arrange for the work to combat and relieve agricultural disasters, and to provide technical guidance to agricultural productions.

The competent water resources departments shall coordinate, in a unified manner, water allocation for major rivers and reservoirs, and arrange for the work to prevent floods or droughts.

The public security departments shall be responsible for maintenance of social security and road traffic order in the disaster-stricken areas, and assist the emergency evacuations and relocations of the people in such areas.

Article 39 The departments of meteorology, water resources, land resources, agriculture, forestry and marine affairs shall, in light of the situation of meteorological disasters, strengthen the joint monitoring of any derived and secondary disasters caused by meteorological factors, and well carry out various work relate to emergency response in accordance with the corresponding emergency plans.

Article 40 The media, such as radio, television, newspaper and telecommunications, shall broadcast in a timely and accurate manner to the society the information about the occurrence, development, emergency handling of meteorological disasters.

Article 41 The people's governments at or above the county level and the relevant departments shall, in terms of the information about the occurrence and development trends of severe weather and the development situation of the disasters provided by the competent meteorological institutions, timely adjust the levels of emergency responses to meteorological disasters, or make decisions on lifting emergency responses to meteorological disasters in accordance with the relevant provisions.

Article 42 Upon completion of the emergency handling of meteorological disasters, the local people's governments at various levels shall organize the relevant departments to investigate the losses caused by the disasters, formulate reconstruction plans, and report the same to the people's government at the next higher level.