ZHENGZHOU, CHINA: Scores of cars scattered through a central Chinese city on Thursday as shocked residents picked up debris from a historic flood that claimed at least 33 lives, and more heavy rains threatened surrounding regions.
An unprecedented downpour threw a year's rain in just three hours over the city of Zhengzhouweather authorities said, instantly overwhelming drains and sending torrents of muddy, turbulent water through streets, road tunnels and the subway system.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the surrounding area have been affected by the flooding, authorities said, as farmland was flooded and road and rail connections were cut.
In Zhengzhou, the worst-hit country, grim images of horror inside the subway system were broadcast in real time via social media, showing water rising during Tuesday's rush hour from passengers' ankles to their necks.
At least a dozen people died before rescuers could free the survivors from the carriages.
As the water receded, with piles of cars as a monument to its deadly power, residents braced for another day of bad weather, moved vehicles to higher ground, and tried to plan trips from the affected city, where communications and the energy were still uneven.
Trucks pumped muddy water from their underground tunnels while business owners counted the cost of the torrent and meteorologists issued 'red' rain alerts, warning of the threat of new landslides and flooding in surrounding areas.
"I am waiting for the power to be restored, but I think it may take several more days." Chenthe owner of a local pork sandwich and food restaurant told AFP.
"My losses? They are fine, compared to what happened in the tunnel there," he said, pointing toward the tunnel where flooding trapped many cars Tuesday, potentially with motorists inside.
The questions revolved around how China's bulging cities could be better prepared for strange weather events like Tuesday's storm, which experts say are happening with greater frequency and intensity due to climate change.
Anyang City, a short trip north of Zhengzhou, issued a red alert Thursday for heavy downpours after some areas received more than 100mm of rain, ordering schools to close and most workers to stay. at home.
Climate experts analyzed the reasons behind record rains on Tuesday.
Chen Tao, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center (NMC), said that a combination of Henan's topography and Typhoon In-Fa favored the rains.
Although the typhoon has not landed in China, under the influence of the winds, "a large amount of water vapor from over the sea accumulated towards Henan," providing a source of water for the downpours, Chen said.
Changing weather is also making these types of extreme weather events more common as the world continues to warm, with catastrophes all over the world.
Henan province, like much of China, is lined by rivers, dams and reservoirs, many of them built decades ago to manage flood water flow and irrigate the agricultural region.
But the endless sprawl of cities is putting pressure on the drain.
State media chided suggestions that dams may have had a role to play in subverting the normal flow of water, with the Global times citing experts as saying that "the construction had no direct connection to the floods."
An unprecedented downpour threw a year's rain in just three hours over the city of Zhengzhouweather authorities said, instantly overwhelming drains and sending torrents of muddy, turbulent water through streets, road tunnels and the subway system.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the surrounding area have been affected by the flooding, authorities said, as farmland was flooded and road and rail connections were cut.
In Zhengzhou, the worst-hit country, grim images of horror inside the subway system were broadcast in real time via social media, showing water rising during Tuesday's rush hour from passengers' ankles to their necks.
At least a dozen people died before rescuers could free the survivors from the carriages.
As the water receded, with piles of cars as a monument to its deadly power, residents braced for another day of bad weather, moved vehicles to higher ground, and tried to plan trips from the affected city, where communications and the energy were still uneven.
Trucks pumped muddy water from their underground tunnels while business owners counted the cost of the torrent and meteorologists issued 'red' rain alerts, warning of the threat of new landslides and flooding in surrounding areas.
"I am waiting for the power to be restored, but I think it may take several more days." Chenthe owner of a local pork sandwich and food restaurant told AFP.
"My losses? They are fine, compared to what happened in the tunnel there," he said, pointing toward the tunnel where flooding trapped many cars Tuesday, potentially with motorists inside.
The questions revolved around how China's bulging cities could be better prepared for strange weather events like Tuesday's storm, which experts say are happening with greater frequency and intensity due to climate change.
Anyang City, a short trip north of Zhengzhou, issued a red alert Thursday for heavy downpours after some areas received more than 100mm of rain, ordering schools to close and most workers to stay. at home.
Climate experts analyzed the reasons behind record rains on Tuesday.
Chen Tao, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center (NMC), said that a combination of Henan's topography and Typhoon In-Fa favored the rains.
Although the typhoon has not landed in China, under the influence of the winds, "a large amount of water vapor from over the sea accumulated towards Henan," providing a source of water for the downpours, Chen said.
Changing weather is also making these types of extreme weather events more common as the world continues to warm, with catastrophes all over the world.
Henan province, like much of China, is lined by rivers, dams and reservoirs, many of them built decades ago to manage flood water flow and irrigate the agricultural region.
But the endless sprawl of cities is putting pressure on the drain.
State media chided suggestions that dams may have had a role to play in subverting the normal flow of water, with the Global times citing experts as saying that "the construction had no direct connection to the floods."
