ZHUZHOU, Hebei (AP) — China’s capital has recorded its heaviest rainfall in at least 140 years in recent days after suffering heavy rain from the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri.
The city recorded 744.8 millimeters (29.3 inches) of rain between Saturday and Wednesday morning, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau said on Wednesday.
Beijing and the surrounding province of Hebei have been hit by severe flooding due to record rainfall, with waters rising to dangerous levels. The rain destroyed roads and cut off electricity and even drinking water pipes. It flooded the rivers that surround the capital, leaving cars inundated, while dragging others onto the bridges intended for pedestrians.
Among the hardest-hit areas is Zhuozhou, a small city in Hebei province that borders southwest of Beijing. On Tuesday night, police issued a request on social media for lights to help with the rescue work.
It is unknown how many people are trapped in the flood-affected areas in the city and surrounding towns.
On Wednesday, floodwaters in Hebei’s Gu’an county, which borders Zhuozhou, reached the middle of a pole where a surveillance camera was installed.
Gu’an County resident Liu Jiwen, 58, was evacuated from his village on Tuesday night. “There’s nothing we can do. It’s a natural disaster,” he said.
Two other people were trying to get through the flooded areas to rescue a family member trapped in a nearby village.
About 850,000 people have been relocated, local authorities in Hebei province said.
On Wednesday, the number of confirmed deaths from torrential rains around Beijing rose to 21 after the body of a rescue worker was recovered. Wang Hong-chun, 41, was with other rescuers in a rubber boat when it capsized into a fast-flowing river. Four of his teammates survived.
At least 26 people are still missing due to the rains.
The previous record for rainfall was set in 1891, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau said on Wednesday, when the city received 609 millimeters (24 inches) of rain. The first precise measurements made by machines date back to 1883.
Typhoon Doksuri’s record rainfall may not be the last. Typhoon Khanun, which hit Japan on Wednesday, is expected to head towards China later this week. The powerful storm, with surface winds of up to 180 kph (111 mph), may also hit Taiwan before reaching China.
Thousands of people were evacuated to shelters in schools and other public buildings in the suburbs of Beijing and in nearby cities. The central government is disbursing 44 million yuan (6.1 million US dollars) for disaster relief in affected provinces.
The severity of the flooding took the Chinese capital by surprise. Beijing usually has dry summers, but this year it had an unprecedented hot spell.
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Wu reported from Taipei, Taiwan. Associated Press news assistant Caroline Chen contributed to this report.
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