Historical flooding in China - relief efforts underway

Weeks of pounding rain caused more than 100 rivers in China to flood above warning levels, seven of which went above historical levels. Evacuation of thousands of people across China is currently underway, Chinese state media reported on Thursday.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of flood relief efforts and rescue work underway in southeast parts of the country on Wednesday evening.

The authorities concerned of S #China's Guangdong Province upgraded its flood control emergency response to Level I at 7:00pm ystd &ordered govts of all areas at risk to immediately suspend schools, productions, traffic &businesses if necessary to ensure safety of people's lives. pic.twitter.com/TqFduBo9Jb

— Ambassador Deng Xijun (@China2ASEAN) June 22, 2022

In Yingde, located in China's most populous province of Guangdong, personnel in military uniforms were deployed to place sandbags along the banks of the Beijiang River.

In Guangdong, the provincial emergency management department said heavy rainfall has impacted 479,600 people, 27.13 hectares of crops and collapsed 1,729 houses, resulting in an economic loss of USD 261 million, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by extreme flooding in China.

Water levels in more than a hundred rivers have surged past flood warning levels, state-run media said, and record-high heat in some provinces is causing roads to buckle. https://t.co/AhqAq4mHNr pic.twitter.com/YXFpZrNgAT

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 23, 2022

Heavy rain across southern provinces was expected to peak on Tuesday and was forecast to shift northward from Wednesday. The summer rainy season brings floods to China almost every year but environmental groups say climate change can bring heavier and more frequent downpours.