According to Xinhua, a Chinese news agency, recent floods have left roughly sixty-six people dead and more than half a million in critical condition.  The floods occurred in the Guangdong Province of southern China and were caused by heavy rainfall in the area.  

The destruction was so devastating considering more than 48,000 homes were destroyed in addition to the 700,000+ acres of cropland that were damaged.  This tragedy undoubtedly has affected those that were not even hit by the attack, as it is said that over 9 million will suffer from this misfortune.  The areas that suffered most were Heyuan, Shaoguan, Meizhou, Shanwei and Qingyan.  Many dread the long-term economic impact that the flood will have on the nation, as it is stated the tragedy caused roughly the equivalent of $371 million in damages.

Civilians are fearful, as there is more expected rain to come.   “We've got experience of floods, but I've never known a flood like this,” stated Zhong Shizhan, who currently resides in Mei, part of the Guangdong province.  Not only is the area where the floods hit considered one of the more highly-populated parts of China, but it is also the location of some of China’s main exportation light manufacturing industries.  No critical damage was done to any of the factories, which is great news considering the severity of the incident.

China usually suffers from disastrous floods every summer considering the amount of rainfall the nation receives during that time.  However, though most towns are safe from any disaster, certain farmlands and mountainous areas are at greater risk due to the lack of protection from elevated rivers.  Southern China has the most open farmland, which is why the summer season brings dreaded fear upon the civilians of this area. 

This is one of the most disastrous tragedies in the country since 1998, when the flooding of the Yangtze killed just over 3,000 people.  In that very year, over 4,000 suffered from disasters of this sort.  According to the China Meteorological Administration, flood catastrophes also killed over 2,700 last year, showing how prone the nation has been to these types of attacks.

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