Southern China was bracing for historic floods Monday that could wreak havoc across Guangdong, a province that is home to more than 127 million people and is the country’s economic powerhouse.
A key manufacturing and commercial region, Guangdong was pummeled by heavy rain over the weekend, triggering landslides that buried buildings and floods covering cities. Provincial authorities issued 148 rainstorm alerts on Sunday and said the Bei River was expected to reach levels not seen in 50 years.
More than 85,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, authorities said. At least 1.16 million households lost power due to the storms, and more than 1,000 schools were closed on Monday. At least four weather stations in the region on Sunday reported record precipitation for the month of April.
A cross-country race had to be cut short Sunday as runners were temporarily trapped in the woods with floodwaters reaching as high as their waists before being rescued.