Extreme levels of flood danger were announced in central China today, with at least a dozen people dead. The official Xinhua news agency reported heavy flooding in subways and schools in Zhenzhou, the capital of Henan province. Others got stuck in their workplaces overnight. On Tuesday, it rained 200 liters per square meter in Zhengzhou from 4pm to 5pm (local time), according to Henan Meteorological Agency.
Heavy rains turned roads into torrential downpours, flooding cars and subway stations. Videos of vehicles circling in waist-high water and vehicles scattering in the mud were circulated on the internet.
Henan Province has many cultural sites and is an important place for industry and agriculture. In the north of Zhengzhou, a famous Shaolin temple known for the martial arts of Buddhist monks was badly damaged by the storm.
Xinhua says more than 100,000 people need to be brought to safety. Many of those stranded spent the night at work or took refuge in hotels. Wang Guirong, a 56-year-old restaurant manager, said he was asleep in bed at his place. Because she was told there was no electricity nearby. A government operator in Zhengzhou said a substation at the center would have to be closed due to continuous rain. “I’ve lived in Zhengzhou all my life and have never seen a heavy rain storm like the one I saw today,” Wang said.
On Tuesday evening (local time), the army exploded a dam in the city of Luong in Henan.
Summer flooding is common in the People’s Republic, but the effects of such events are more severe as cities grow and farmland is converted into residential areas.
