Flooding Forces Thousands to Evacuate in Eastern China

Torrential downpours have battered much of China since last week, triggering flooding that has affected more than half a million residents in one province alone and forced tens of thousands to evacuate.

Since May 2, many areas in eastern and central China have experienced the heaviest rains of the year, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

In East China’s Jiangxi province, flooding affected 536,000 local residents from Friday to Monday and forced 16,000 to evacuate, according to a report posted on the provincial emergency management department’s website. Hundreds of homes were damaged and 2,300 hectares (5,683 acres) of crops were entirely wiped out, causing 670 million yuan ($97 million) in direct financial losses. So far, there have been no confirmed casualties in Jiangxi.