Eight people have died and one remains missing after rainstorms and tornadoes hit central China, while rescue parties in the south are continuing to evacuate residents amid flood warnings.
Meteorologists warn that China faces “complex” flood prevention challenges this year, with heavy rain, typhoons, flooding and other geological disasters happening across the country.
Parts of the central province of Hubei were hit with strong winds and rain on Monday night, according to the provincial Department of Emergency Management on Tuesday.
In its easternmost city Huanggang, 173 people were injured, while 269 were evacuated to hotels or relatives’ homes. Rooftops, roads, trees and farms were damaged, the local government said.
Videos circulating on social media show residents desperately trying to keep shop doors closed, while umbrellas, chairs and tree branches fly across the road in what meteorologists said was the first tornado to hit the province in several years.
The emergency management department said more than 3,500 rescuers were deployed across the province to provide disaster relief.