Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has been in the eye of the storm. On Wednesday, a number of cities in the region issued red alerts for rainstorm. The downpours flooded main streets, cutting off traffic and leaving vehicles submerged.
Torrential rains continue to drench southern China. The sudden downpours in the city of Beihai inundated the streets. Water in some areas was 30 inches deep. Cars foolish enough to try their luck on the road were swallowed up by the water.
"When I drove halfway through I found myself trapped. The car was totally overwhelmed by the water. Someone else helped me pull the car out, but the engine was dead. Soon, the tow truck will come to take my car to the repair shop." A Beihai resident said.
The inner city flooding is partly due to the city’s inefficient drainage system. The municipal government is working to repair and upgrade the drainage system. Similar flooding occured in Qinzhou city. In a single day, precipitations exceeded 300 milimeters, the largest amount of rainfall seen in ten years.
Local weather authorities have issued a red alert for rainstorm three times in a row. 300 policemen were mobilized to guide traffic through the city’s inundated streets. High speed bullet trains have meanwhile been ordered to slow down to a sluggish 40 kilometers per hour when passing by the city.
The heavy rains are expected to abate by Friday.