Historic floods hit Meizhou, South China’s Guangdong Province
Torrential rainfall affecting southern China over the past 5 days caused historic flooding and landslides in Guangdong’s Pingyuan County, severely damaging infrastructure and farmland, and leaving at least 47 people dead.
Heavy rains caused deadly floods and landslides across 8 townships in Pingyuan County, NE Guangdong over the past 5 days, claiming the lives of at least 47 people. The number follows 38 new confirmed fatalities reported on Friday, June 21, 2024.
The county’s worst rains were recorded on Sunday, June 16, with one township registering 365.7 mm (14.4 inches). The county’s average rainfall for June 16 was 199 mm (7.8 inches).
The resulting floods — dubbed by CCTV as a ‘once-in-a-century’ disaster, severely damaged infrastructure and farmland, causing a direct economic loss of about 3.65 billion yuan ($503 million USD).
6月21日，记者从广东省梅州市平远县三防指挥部了解到，截至21日15时，受强降雨影响，该县因灾造成38人死亡、2人失联。#China #Guangdong #Meizhou #Flood #DisasterRelief pic.twitter.com/LOd76HUymG
— China Observation 中国观察 (@CHINA_OBSERVATI) June 21, 2024
Firefighters rescued an elderly man trapped by #floods in Meizhou, S #China's #Guangdong Province on Monday. pic.twitter.com/EMGDiJZpw1
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) June 19, 2024
☔️ Rainfall-triggered disasters have left 38 dead and 2 missing in Pingyuan County, Guangdong Province, China. #weather #disasters #Guangdong pic.twitter.com/C75W3lTf7d
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) June 21, 2024
As reported by Xinhua, some 55 388 people in the county were affected and 2 247 homes have collapsed. About 356 km (221 miles) of road were damaged and more than 100 bridges.
As of Wednesday morning, June 19, about 1 500 rescue personnel have been dispatched to Pingyuan and at least 43 roads to the county have been repaired, Xinhua reported.
From April 4, when this region entered flood season, to June 21, Pingyuan received a total of 1 221.6 mm (48.09 inches) of rainfall — almost double the normal level for this period.
Pingyuan County is located in the northeastern part of Guangdong Province in southern China. It is under the jurisdiction of the Meizhou City prefecture-level city.
The county is known for its hilly terrain, and its economy primarily revolves around agriculture and forestry. The area often experiences significant rainfall due to its subtropical climate, which can lead to flooding and landslides, especially during the monsoon season.
References:
1 China Focus: Rescue efforts ramp up after rainstorms leave 38 dead in south China county – Xinhua – June 21, 2024
2 Historic flooding in southern China kills 47, with more floods feared in coming days – AP – June 21, 2024
Featured image credit: CCTV (stillshot)
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