SUMMARY
- Relentless downpours flood Shenzhen and Hong Kong, breaking historical records.
- Social media erupts with visuals of submerged roads, vehicles, and subway stations.
- Over 3,000 rescued in Shenzhen; Fujian Province relocates 300,000 residents.
Southern China has been drenched by relentless rains, submerging homes, roads, and even expressways. Imagine waking up to eight inches of rain overnight - that's what residents of Shenzhen, the bustling commercial city neighboring Hong Kong, experienced It's the heaviest downpour they've seen since record-keeping commenced in 1952. Hong Kong wasn't spared either, with over six inches of rain pelting down in a matter of hours. Their Observatory, in fact, clocked over six inches in just sixty minutes, breaking records from 1884.
You'd think navigating flooded roads was a challenge, but Hong Kong's subway stations weren’t safe havens either. Videos flooded social media, showing travelers wading through waterlogged buses and subway stations. One startling clip from Wong Tai Sin station showed shocked commuters discovering an underwater platform. What was behind this watery chaos? The remnants of Typhoon Haikui, which had earlier journeyed along the Chinese coast, finally slamming into the heart of Guangdong Province – China's hub for manufacturing and commerce.
Social media channels and news sites were awash with striking visuals: cars submerged under muddy torrents, parking garages transformed into makeshift pools, and homes invaded by unwanted waters. Amidst the mayhem, an alarming message came from a Shenzhen hospital. Twenty ICU patients found themselves knee-deep in water. Thankfully, swift action led to a resolution, though details remain scanty. In the thick of it all, rescue operations in Shenzhen were in full swing. Over 3,000 people were pulled to safety from the watery threat, and authorities played a delicate balancing act, releasing water from a nearby dam to alleviate its pressure, all while reassuring a nervous public.
And if you thought the rain had favorites, think again. Fujian Province, hugging China's southeastern coast, too bore the brunt. Around 300,000 residents had to be relocated to safer territories.
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