CHENGDU, Aug. 15 -- Floods have killed 45 and left six missing in southwest China's Sichuan Province since the rainy season began this year, local authorities said Monday.

Sichuan experienced heavy downpours on 12 separate occasions this year, pushing water above warning levels in local rivers. By Aug. 11, more than 4 million local residents were affected by flooding, with about 91,000 people evacuated, according to the provincial government.

The floods damaged 200,000 hectares of crop fields, destroyed or damaged 19,800 houses, causing a direct economic loss of about 4.7 billion yuan (708 million U.S. dollars).

The government said it is taking measures to fix dams, enhance embankments and inspect areas prone to natural disasters.

Since the rainy season began in early June, flooding has left hundreds of people dead or missing in China. The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze and major fresh-water lakes have swollen, causing severe flooding in the south of the the country.