Typhoon Costs 500 Million Yuan Losses in South China

Typhoon Bilis and torrential rains caused 500 million yuan in direct economic losses and killed three people in eastern Guangdong Province, south China, over the past few days.

According to those emergency disaster relief personnel, flash floods caused by the typhoon and torrential rains inundated farmland, collapsed houses and disrupted traffic in the area from August 23 to Sunday.

The water level of the hydroelectric station in Chao'an County was 15 meters high, 1.3 meters above the danger line.

In Meizhou City, 450,000 people in six counties were affected by the torrential rains and 15,000 hectares of farmland were inundated. Floodwaters destroyed nearly 2,000 houses, causing 394 million yuan in direct economic losses.

In Longchuan County, torrential rains collapsed 600 houses and damaged nearly 3,000 hectares of farmland, with economic losses totaling 20 million yuan.

Guangdong provincial government has mobilized a disaster-relief effort to help victims rebuild their homes.



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