CHANGSHA, Nov. 14 -- The worst winter flood to hit a Yangtze River tributary in decades has caused more than 8,000 people to evacuate their homes in central China's Hunan Province, local authorities said Saturday.

Continuous rain beginning on Wednesday has formed flood crests in the upper and middle reaches of the Xiangjiang River, a tributary of China's longest river.

Water levels have risen beyond alarm lines in many parts of the 844-km river, Hunan provincial flood prevention authorities said in a press release.

The swollen river has flooded several cities including Daoxian, Jiangyong, Shuangpai and Jianghua, and destroyed crops and homes in the countryside, it said.

More than 87,000 people suffered damage and danger from the flood, including damaged homes and cropland as well as blackouts and road blocks. Altogether 8,282 people were resettled after their homes were destroyed in the flood.

The provincial weather bureau said it was the worst winter flood since meteorological records became available in 1961.

At 4 p.m. Friday, the water level was 105.44 meters at Laobutou hydrological station of the Xiangjiang River, 3.44 meters above the alarm level.

The middle reaches of the river are expecting another flood crest Saturday, and at least three cities are on flood alert, including Guiyang, Hengyang and Hengshan.

Experts say the flood is likely to continue into next week, as heavy rain has been forecast from Monday to Wednesday.