Last week, Typhoon Gaemi wreaked havoc in Taiwan and the Philippines.
Now, the tail end of the typhoon has unleashed its wrath in China and North Korea. Torrential rains, floods, and mudslides have devastated the mainland, resulting in dozens of deaths.
The storm has been battering the region since the weekend, leaving a trail of destroyed homes, roads, and crops in its wake.
The latest reports indicate that seven more people have died, bringing the total number of deaths since Sunday to 22.
Xinhua News Agency reported that four bodies were found in Zixing city, while state broadcaster CCTV confirmed the discovery of three more bodies in a nearby village.
Persistent Heavy Rains
Heavy rains have hit Hunan province for days as Tropical Storm Gaemi moved inland after making landfall in Fujian province.
The storm had already impacted Taiwan last week.
All deaths in China have been recorded in Hunan province, with three more people reported missing on Tuesday.
The heavy rains have caused large-scale damage, destroying nearly 1,000 homes and prompting the evacuation of over 11,000 people. In Zixing alone, there were 1,345 road collapses.
Some areas experienced record rainfall, with up to 645 mm (25 inches) falling within 24 hours.
The heavy rains have also breached major dams, resulting in the flooding of vast areas of farmland.
In response, the Ministry of Finance has allocated 238 million yuan ($33 million) for disaster prevention and agricultural aid, as reported by CCTV.
Extreme Weather Across China
China is currently facing extreme weather, with heavy rains affecting large parts of the country while other regions experience intense heatwaves.
On Monday, China’s National Meteorological Centre issued an orange alert for rainstorms across much of the country's south, southwest, and center, as well as Beijing, Hebei province, and Tianjin in the north.
The combination of the southwest monsoon and Typhoon Gaemi has also caused storms in northeastern China and North Korea, raising water levels in the Yalu River, which divides the two countries.
Serious flooding has been reported in the Chinese border city of Dandong and on the North Korean side.
