Heavy Rains Lash Southern China: Jiangxi Floods Submerge Cars, Guangzhou Boy Swept Away

(CNA, Shanghai, May 17) Several areas in southern China have been affected by heavy rainfall recently, with flooding reported in Guangdong, Jiangxi, and other regions. In some parts of Ganzhou, Jiangxi, floodwaters reached a depth of 1 meter, submerging car roofs. In Guangzhou, Guangdong, a boy riding a bicycle was swept away by the floodwaters. According to Beijing News, from the 15th to the morning of the 16th, five counties in western Ganzhou, Jiangxi, experienced torrential to extreme torrential rain, with the Meishui Yangtian weather station in Shangyou recording 237 mm of rainfall in 24 hours. The heavy rain caused flooding in low-lying areas of Ganzhou, submerging vehicles and roads, and triggering landslides. Jimu News reported that a resident of Dongshan Town, Shangyou County, said on the morning of the 16th that the streets had turned into rivers, 'The shallower parts were over the knees, and the deeper parts were probably more than a meter deep.' Another resident stated that the deepest water on the streets had submerged the roofs of small cars. Around 2 AM, local authorities were still using inflatable boats to evacuate people. Guangdong has also been experiencing continuous heavy rain. According to Sing Tao Daily, on the 15th, the Renmin Park station in Beijing Street, Guangzhou, recorded a maximum hourly rainfall of 117.6 mm, a historical high, with a cumulative rainfall of 153.8 mm. Affected by the heavy rain, some trains on the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway and Jiangmen-Zhanjiang Railway were suspended on the 15th. Severe flooding occurred in Yuexiu and Tianhe districts of Guangzhou on the afternoon of the 15th, with flooded roads and some electric scooters being washed away. Many areas issued red rainstorm warnings. Shenzhen also issued a rainstorm warning on the 15th, putting the entire city on high alert, with risks of flash floods in Nanshan, Futian, and Bao'an districts. Zhuhai also issued its first city-wide red rainstorm warning of the year, suspending classes in the afternoon, with people even having to swim through flooded sections of road. Shantou and Meizhou were also hit by heavy rain. According to Guangzhou Daily, on the afternoon of the 15th, a boy in Guangzhou was swept away while riding his bicycle through the water and was rescued by five delivery drivers. One driver recalled, 'The rain was incredibly heavy, the water on the road was over our calves, and water was gushing out of several manhole covers, so the little boy couldn't stand steadily in the water and was swept away instantly.' The incident gained attention on Chinese social media, and the delivery drivers were rewarded with a bonus. (Editor: Lü Chia-jung) 1150517