161
Heavy downpours have covered the key economic center of Guangdong province since Thursday. The authorities evacuated 54 local residents.
On Monday, April 22, heavy downpours continued to cover southern China. Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes, and rescuers are trying to evacuate those trapped by floodwaters and find at least 11 missing residents of Guangdong province. The Washington Post writes about it.
Local authorities reported damage to buildings, landslides and blocked roads. Currently, 127 million people are at risk. Because of the danger, the country's government activated an emergency response plan. The natural disaster threatens the country's economic stability, as Guangdong is one of the most populous and richest in China. The province is a key economic center of China.
More than 82 people were evacuated from their homes. At least 1,16 million households were without power due to the storms and more than 1000 schools were closed. At least 4 weather stations in the region reported record precipitation for April.
Since Thursday last week, heavy water has started inundating cities in the densely populated Pearl River Delta after record rainfall. On Sunday, authorities said the water level in the Bei Jiang River would reach a record level not seen in 50 years. The amount of precipitation in recent days is two to three times higher than the norm for this time of year, Reuters notes.
In recent years, the rains in Guangdong province have been increasing. Meteorologists note that the consequences of global warming in China are more serious than anywhere else. In particular, in their opinion, this is due to the fact that China is not making enough efforts to combat warming, and provincial authorities are limited in measures to combat natural disasters due to the vertical system of government in the country.
