Residents in the storm-hit Chinese city of Zhengzhou are clearing up the debris and mud after a deluge that killed more than 30 in Henan province. Rescue teams are still searching for individuals reported missing.
An aerial view shows one of the city's flooded main roads and residents being evacuated on a trailerImage: Aly Song/REUTERS
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Zhengzhou residents on Thursday began to clear up, hauling away cars and the debris of wrecked buildings from floods that killed at least 33 people.
A sudden downpour overwhelmed the city's drainage systems, sending floodwater gushing through streets, road tunnels, and the subway system.
Questions have arisen on social media about how prepared authorities had been for such a disaster.
Essential supplies cut off
While there were drier conditions on Thursday in Zhengzhou, a city of some 12 million people, large parts of the city remained underwater.
Cars were left piled high by the water as residents prepared for a possible next wave of bad weather.
Trucks pumped water from underground tunnels as meteorologists issued "red" rain alerts.
China: Deadly flooding in Henan — in pictures
Massive flooding has devastated the central Chinese province of Henan, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
Heaviest rain in decades
China's central Henan province has been hit by the heaviest rains since records began over 60 years ago. In fact, forecasters say it was is the kind of rain only seen "once in 100 years." From Saturday to Tuesday, 617.1 mm (24.3 inches) of rain fell in the provincial capital Zhengzhou. The average for a whole year is 640.8 mm.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
High death toll
At least 25 people have died in the flooding, and another seven were reported missing. Officials feared more bodies would be found as the government upgraded its flood emergency response from level III to level II. More than 1 million people were affected in the surrounding province of Henan.
Image: Hou Jianxun/dpa/picture alliance
Evacuations, displacement and rescue
Nearly 200,000 residents were evacuated in Zhengzhou, and some 10,000 residents in the province were relocated to shelters. The military sent 5,700 soldiers for the rescue and clean-up operations, and 1,800 firefighters were also dispatched, according to Chinese media reports.
Image: Li Jianan/Xinhua/picture alliance
Roads turn into rivers
Transport and work have been disrupted throughout Henan. Rain turned streets into rapidly flowing rivers, washing away cars and rising into people's homes. High-speed trains were suspended. Subway passengers reported tunnels being flooded and water almost reaching their necks.
Image: Hou Jianxun/HPIC/dpa/picture alliance
Dam blasted to divert floods
The Chinese military tore down a dam to release floodwaters threatening Henan. China said troops had "successfully opened a new flood diversion opening" and averted the collapse of the Yihetan dam, around an hour from Zhengzhou city. The rainfall had caused a 20-meter breach in the dam.
Image: Jia Fangwen/Costfoto/picture alliance
Cultural sites shutdown
Henan province is home to several cultural sites. Fearing damage, officials shut down the famed Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, known for its monks' martial arts mastery. The Longmen Grottoes — a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring thousand-year-old Buddhist carvings in limestone cliffs — was also forced to close.
Image: SIPA ASIA/Pacific Press/picture alliance
Rain keeps falling
Residents tried to keep at least partially dry, holding umbrellas as they wade through the floodwaters. With road and rail links out of action, many were forced to take journeys by foot.
Image: cnsphoto/REUTERS
Muddy floodwaters crisscross city
This picture, which shows rescue workers evacuating residents in a trailer along a flooded road, gives some idea of the extent of the flooding in Zhengzhou, a city of some 12 million people. It's the endless city sprawl that is putting pressure on drainage.
Image: Aly Song/REUTERS
Need for a change in direction?
Questions are turning to how China's growing cities could be better prepared for freak weather events like the Tuesday storm. It's expected that they will happen with increased frequency and intensity due to climate change.
Image: Hou Jianxun/HPIC/dpa/picture alliance
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Amid shortages of food, water and power, residents queued for emergency water and instant noodles.
The official Xinhua news agency reported that eight people were still missing after the floods.
Fresh landslide and flood warnings were issued for surrounding areas.
Anyang city, to the north of Zhengzhou, issued a red alert on Thursday for heavy downpours. Officials ordered schools to close and said most workers should stay at home.
The rains in Henan were triggered by Typhoon In-Fa, which was also associated with severe weather in the southern provinces of Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang.
As well as Henan, three southern provinces were also badly hit by extreme weather associated with Typhoon In-Fa
Social media anger
Contributors to social media questioned how prepared authorities had been for the Tuesday deluge. High on the list of complaints was a failure to close the city subway system.
The underground rail network saw the worst incidence in terms of fatalities when 12 people died as the system became inundated with floodwaters.
"Why was it that water levels on the street were almost waist-high, but the subway was still allowing commuters in?" asked one user of China's Twitter equivalent, Weibo.
The transport ministry released a statement ordering rail operators to "absorb the lessons of recent incidents." It warned them to close stations promptly when faced with severe weather.
