Flood had caused 84.60 billion yuan (US$12.39 billion) direct economic losses in China last year, down 30 percent from the average level in the previous years, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SFDH).

The figures were released at a national flood control and drought relief conference which ended Friday in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province.

Flood hit 29 provinces, regions and municipalities in China, involving 131 million mu (8.73 million hectares) of farmland and 111 million people, said Zhang Zhitong, deputy head of the General Office of the headquarters.

Flood control and rescue work helped save 40.41 million Mu of farmland and 214 cities from being inundated in 2009, equal to preventing 62.7 billion yuan of losses, according to the meeting.

China experienced more than 30 large-scale rainfalls in 2009 and nine typhoons that had landed in the mainland in 2009 -- two more than the average number in the previous years, Zhang said.

Flood in mountain areas still posed great threat in China. The country reported 116 cases of flood in mountain areas and the disasters caused 430 deaths which accounted for 80 percent of the total deaths caused by flood, Zhang said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2010)