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An aerial view of houses and trees submerged in floodwaters in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, on June 20, 2024.
Hong Kong
CNN
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Heavy rains continue to batter southern China, causing flash floods and landslides, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate across the region and putting many more at risk.
Chinese state media reported on Friday that at least 13 people had been killed since June 9, citing dramatic footage showing parts of the city submerged in water, buildings sinking and rescue workers in speedboats rushing to rescue stranded residents.
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Villagers walk along a muddy road after flooding caused by heavy rains in Meizhou city, Guangdong province, China, June 19, 2024.
At least nine people were killed in Meizhou city in Guangdong province, one of the hardest-hit areas, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday, amid reports of record flooding along the banks of the Songyuan and Shiku rivers.
The southern states, an economic hub of 127 million people, are subject to flooding every year between April and September, but the region has seen more intense storms and severe flooding in recent years as scientists warn the climate crisis will amplify extreme weather events, making them more deadly and frequent.
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Villagers clean up trash after flooding caused by heavy rains in Meizhou city, Guangdong province, China, June 19, 2024.
More than 10,000 people were evacuated from the city of Meizhou earlier this week and 130,000 were left without power, prompting city authorities to raise the flood emergency response to Level 1, according to state media. China’s flood emergency response system has four levels, with Level 1 being the most severe.
In the neighbouring southern province of Fujian, at least four people were killed and an estimated 586,500 people were affected across 40 counties by heavy rains, state media reported.
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An aerial photograph of an area affected by torrential rains in Sishui Town, Pingyuan County, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, China on June 18, 2024.
And in the southern western region of Guangxi, water levels in 48 rivers have exceeded flood warning levels, forcing authorities to implement a Level 2 emergency response, state media reported.
The Li River, a well-known and popular tourist destination that runs through Guilin, has seen its worst flooding since 1998, forcing the evacuation of more than 6,000 people, state media reported on Thursday.
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Villagers stand in water after heavy rains cause flooding in Meizhou, Guangdong province, China, June 19, 2024.
The emergency response to the floods comes as China is being hit by extreme weather, with heavy rains in the south and severe drought and record high temperatures in the north, and President Xi Jinping called on Tuesday for all efforts to protect life and property.
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Rescue workers rescue residents from flooded streets after a storm in Guilin, southwest China’s Guangxi province, June 20, 2024.
Elsewhere in China, heatwaves and droughts are occurring earlier and longer each year, causing widespread power shortages and disrupting food and industrial supply chains.
