All-out disaster relief and rescue operations are underway in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province as torrential rainfall wreaked havoc in northern China since the beginning of the week, damaging roads, disrupting power and water supplies, and prompting mass evacuation.

As of Tuesday evening, the death toll from severe downpours in Beijing was 30, with 28 deaths reported in the city's mountainous Miyun district and two in Yanqing district, while eight more people died in Hebei, where a landslide struck Luanping county, according to local authorities.

The rainstorm alert in Beijing, where 80,332 people were moved to safety, was canceled on Tuesday as the rain bands weakened and shifted eastward. The city, however, remains on its highest level of flood-control emergency response.

Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing, who has been entrusted by President Xi Jinping to oversee relief and rescue efforts in Beijing, led relevant department officials on Monday night to Miyun, where they met and consoled affected residents and guided flood prevention and disaster relief work.

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Zhang emphasized that during the crucial period for flood control, special attention should be paid to vulnerable groups including the elderly, the ailing, and people with disabilities, ensuring their safe relocation. It is important to scientifically manage the flow and discharge of floodwaters and make every effort to minimize disaster losses, he added.

The maximum rainfall across entire Beijing was registered in two Miyun towns at 543 millimeters, with nearly 17,000 residents relocated in Miyun district as of Tuesday morning, according to the Beijing municipal government.

Along a stretch of the Chaohe River in Miyun, fast-moving, muddy floodwaters submerged lower tree branches, although heavy rain had eased to a drizzle by Tuesday noon.

Gao Jianhua, a grassroots leader at the Armed Police Force Beijing Corps, was among nearly 1,000 soldiers deployed to build flood barriers near the district's Ningcunxin bridge.

"When we started work around 8 pm on Monday, it was pouring. We could tell with our own eyes that the water level was quickly rising. The situation felt critical and urgent," Gao said, adding that they worked nonstop for 12 hours to complete the basic structure of a 1.6-kilometer-long embankment.

"A total of 100,000 sandbags were used, meaning that each soldier had loaded and transported about 100 sandbags throughout the process," he said, adding that reinforcement of the sandbag barrier was underway.

Meanwhile, in Tianjin, local resident Cui Chuanying carefully stepped on scattered stones across a waterlogged road, a large suitcase in one hand while with the other he guided his 10-year-old son, as they prepared to leave their village battered by heavy rains with the help of rescuers.

"We arrived at a speed skating training center in the city's Jizhou district on Friday. Heavy rainfall began on Sunday evening, washing away bridges and cutting off electricity, communication and water supplies," Cui said.

About 20 children, along with their coaches and parents, were trapped at the training facility, he said. "We felt hopeless in the beginning, as all we could do was wait. When we heard this (Tuesday) morning that People's Liberation Army rescuers were coming, we were overjoyed," he said. "Now we know we are safe in their hands."

Cui and his son were among the more than 10,500 residents evacuated from Jizhou.

Lu Chenyang, a PLA soldier and a member of the rescue team sent to the district, said their main tasks were evacuating residents from flooded villages and clearing roads.

"The biggest challenge is the severe road damage. Some sections are completely destroyed, forcing us to rely on small paths, rural trails and temporary routes we cleared ourselves (to evacuate people)," Lu said.

"Since 8 am on Tuesday, our team of 100 soldiers has relocated nearly 600 stranded residents, and we will continue restoring village access," he added.

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As the skies cleared around Tuesday afternoon, some residents of Putaoyuan village in Beijing's Miyun district returned home to start cleaning efforts.

Zhang Changqin, a 65-year-old seafood vendor, put on his rain boots and navigated piles of debris to reach his damaged truck that was overturned by floodwaters. He said he planned to repair the vehicle himself instead of filing an insurance claim, so that he could resume business as soon as possible.

"I have experienced earthquakes and floods in the past, but never one this severe," Zhang said. "Nevertheless, I choose to keep a positive mind. Things may look bleak now, but once we rebuild our village, I believe it would become even more beautiful than before."

Contact the writers at wangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn