A pedestrian walks across a flooded street as many vehicles submerged in water in Panyu district, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Sept 8, 2023. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
GUANGZHOU - The flood, drought and typhoon control headquarters of south China's Guangdong province updated the emergency response for heavy rain-triggered flooding from Level IV to Level II, the second-highest level, at 1:30 am Friday.
Affected by the residual cloud system outside Typhoon Haikui, the 11th typhoon of this year, and monsoon, many cities and counties in the Pearl River Delta region has experienced torrential rains since Thursday, with extremely heavy rainstorm lashing some areas.
The rainfall will continue to affect Guangdong, with high risks of floods in small and medium-sized rivers, mountain torrents, geological disasters and urban and rural waterlogging, the authorities said.
Many places in the province have issued red alerts for rainstorms.
Red alert issued in Guangzhou
According to the monitoring of the meteorological observatory of Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong, from 8:00 am Thursday to 3:00 am Friday, the city witnessed this year's strongest rainstorm, reaching a particularly serious level.
More than 3,480 rescuers, plus 106 rescue vehicles, 85 water pumps, 41 sets of generators and 62 rubber boats were sent to help rescue victims and cope with the flooding in Guangzhou's Panyu district on Friday
The heavy rainfall caused severe waterlogging in many parts of Guangzhou.
READ MORE: Record rain brings Hong Kong to a standstill
The districts of Panyu, Nansha and Baiyun were hit hardest by the storms. Many local streets and roads have flooded, limiting the mobility of pedestrians. The Shiqiao Station of Metro Line 3 in Panyu was temporarily closed due to deep water outside the station.
A red alert, the highest level of the four-tier warning system, was issued in the three districts on Friday, causing classes at all primary and secondary schools, plus kindergartens, to be suspended.
A resident surnamed Zhang said she had to wade across the street to purchase some daily necessities at a shopping mall across from her home.
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"The metro station has temporarily been closed due to the heavy flood outside and many convenience stores near my home were forced by the downpour to shut down," said Zhang who lives near Shiqiao metro station in Panyu district.
Pedestrians walk past a submerged car on a flooded street in Panyu district, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Sept 8, 2023. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
"People can swim in the severely flooded road and street sections," she added.
A senior resident surnamed Li said he had to use a wooden stick to help him wade across a flooded road to avoid falling.
"Many cars were found stranded in the flood water," said Li who lives on Kangle road in Panyu district, adding that the ground floor of his housing estate became flooded after the river overflowed on Friday morning.
Firefighters had to use rubber dinghies to help evacuate those who live in low-lying areas, he said.
READ MORE: Rainstorm disrupts daily life in Hong Kong
According to the Panyu district government, a total of 231 residents had been relocated as of 10 am Friday. More than 3,480 rescuers, plus 106 rescue vehicles, 85 water pumps, 41 sets of generators and 62 rubber boats were sent to help rescue victims and cope with the flooding in the district on Friday.
At Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, at least 40 arriving flights were redirected to nearby airports starting from Thursday night. Many departures were also canceled or delayed, leaving passengers stranded at the airport.
As of 5 am Friday, a total of 2,516 people had been evacuated from dangerous areas in Guangzhou, according to the municipal flood, drought and typhoon control headquarters.
A total of 43 train services have been suspended after a heavy rainstorm lashed the Pearl River Delta region, according to the China Railway Guangzhou Group Co Ltd.
Residents evacuate on a rubber dinghy through a flooded street in Panyu district, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Sept 8, 2023. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway line has not been affected yet, the company said.
Authorities have urged locals to stay indoors in the coming one to two days to avoid any accidents. Relevant departments were asked to introduce concrete and effective measures to fight against disasters as the downpour isn't expected to end till Sunday.
Emergency payment for affected Shenzhen residents
While in Shenzhen, from 5 pm Thursday to 6 am Friday, the average rainfall in the coastal city was 202.8 mm, and the maximum cumulative rainfall reached 469 mm, according to the municipal meteorological bureau.
According to the provisions, eligible residents can receive a one-time emergency assistance payment amounting to not less than two months of Shenzhen's minimum living guarantee standard — 2,826 yuan ($384) — and not exceeding three months of the minimum living guarantee of 4,239 yuan
The bureau said this rainfall featured super strong intensity, long duration and wide range of torrential rain, with four rainfall records, namely two-hour, three-hour, six-hour and 12-hour maximum rainfall, broken since Shenzhen started keeping meteorological records in 1952.
The authorities alerted people to stay away from dangerous areas such as mountains, rivers, slopes, and retaining walls.
On Friday morning, around 100 people were stranded at the Shenzhen Railway Station in Luohu district, local authorities said. The city's civil affairs bureau started to offer temporary emergency assistance to people who encountered difficulties because of heavy rain.
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The basement of the station was flooded, a staff member said, adding that service windows have been set up on-site for the stranded people and emergency reserve supplies have been mobilized to provide to passengers.
At the same time, Shenzhen's Civil Affairs Bureau released a statement saying that in response to the impact of the recent heavy rains, residents who have encountered difficulties in their basic living conditions can apply for emergency temporary assistance under Shenzhen's assistance regulation.
Firefighters help stranded residents evacuate in Longgang district of Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, Sept 7, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
According to the provisions, eligible residents can receive a one-time emergency assistance payment amounting to not less than two months of the city's minimum living guarantee standard — 2,826 yuan ($384) — and not exceeding three months of the minimum living guarantee of 4,239 yuan.
READ MORE: Typhoon Haikui slams into southern coast of China
The assistance aims to help affected residents overcome difficulties and ensure that their basic living needs are met. Emergency temporary assistance is not restricted by household registration, and families or individuals who temporarily face severe difficulties in basic living and require immediate assistance can apply for help at local neighborhood offices, the statement said.
At 2 pm on Friday, the Shenzhen Meteorological Observatory downgraded the red and orange storm warning for the entire city to yellow.
"The rain in Shenzhen this afternoon has weakened, but it will continue. Please continue to take precautions. Shenzhen has experienced an unprecedented heavy rainstorm, and there is an extremely high risk of geological disaster," the agency said.
With Xinhua inputs
