Tens of thousands of farmers in southern Guangdong are facing serious losses after their crops were ruined by recent rains. Nearly all cities in the southeast were flooded after torrential rain began at the weekend. In Huidong county, more than 45,000 rural residents were affected, including 1,000 left homeless and stranded in mountainous or remote areas. All 22 towns in the county were submerged to a depth of up to three metres. Traffic on the Guangzhou-Shantou Highway ground to a halt. Economic losses amounted to more than 150 million yuan (HK$139.65 million). Director for the County Flood Control Command, Li Zhixiang, said water levels at Baipanzhu Reservoir and major lakes still exceeded the danger level by a metre. He said there might be food shortages ahead as all the summer crops, which were due to be harvested during the next weeks, had been lost. 'And many of the homeless need to rebuild their houses, too,' Mr Li said. 'That's the greatest difficulty. It's really miserable,' he said. However, no injuries or deaths were reported, he added, and the drainage systems in the region were still in good condition, with not a single embankment broken.
