Ten days of torrential rain have brought massive flooding to Central China’s Hunan Province. Changsha, the capital city, has not been spared. Water from the Xiangjiang River, a main tributary of the Yangtze River, is bursting its banks. 

The water level of the Xiangjiang River in Changsha reached 39.49 meters on Sunday night, exceeding the previous record high of 39.18 meters set by a massive flood in 1998. The worsening situation prompted an urgent flood control mission overnight. Crops are damaged, houses are destroyed and people are being evacuated while the battle against the floods is underway.

 “We can even go to the riverside to fish and play before, but the water has overflown to the roads these days. It’s the biggest floods I’ve ever seen,” said Zhou Xiang, a local resident.

“Our main duty here is to fill the sand into bags and then carry the sandbags to the dike. I think more hands make the task more efficient,” said Mao Longping, a volunteer.

Besides Changsha, other cities are also stepping up disaster-relief operations as water levels continue to rise. In Ningxiang County, a mudslide triggered by the heavy rains has caused at least six deaths. And the search and rescue there is still going on.