Motorcars try to pass a flooded road in Changzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 17, 2015. Heavy rain on June 16 and 17 battered Jiangsu, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, central China's Hubei Province, east China's Anhui Province and Shanghai Municipality. (Photo: Xinhua/Chen Wei)
Continuous rainstorms wreak havoc in China, causing deaths, cutting off electricity and inflicting heavy economic losses to affected areas, local authorities said.
Five people died and another four are still missing following torrential rains in central China's Hubei Province since Tuesday, according to local civil affairs authority.
As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, more than 58,00 residents had been relocated, according to a statement from the provincial civil affairs department.
The water levels of about 400 reservoirs in the province exceeded the warning level. Roads, houses, power and water conservation facilities have been damaged, causing a direct economic loss of 680 million yuan (111 million U.S. dollars), according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.
Yingshan County, where a four-story residential building was washed away on Wednesday morning, was worst hit by the rainstorm. The owner of the building evacuated his family before the collapse after receiving a government warning.
In neighboring Hunan Province, heavy rain that began on Wednesday has affected 225,900 people in nine counties and cities and 42,500 have been evacuated.
Four roads in Suining County were blocked by floodwater and electricity was cut off in parts of the county.
The provincial meteorological center forecast heavy rain for central Hunan on Friday and western parts will see heavy downpours from Friday night to Saturday.
In Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, five people were killed and some 221,000 have been affected by storms since Monday. A total of 3,231 people were evacuated. It is estimated that the weather has caused economic losses of 204 million yuan, according to local flood control headquarters.
Downtown Chongqing, and 25 other districts and counties have seen rainfall of up to 250 millimeters, the local meteorological center said.
