Thousands of residents were evacuated from Beijing's suburban Huairou District on Tuesday as citywide downpours were expected to pummel the capital overnight.
The relocations came as Beijing upgraded its emergency response for flood control to its second highest level on Tuesday afternoon, with local meteorological authorities warning some areas could receive over 70 mm of rain within the space six hours or more than 100 mm within 24 hours up to Wednesday night.
The Beijing meteorological observatory issued an orange alert, it's second most severe warning, for rainstorms across the city at 16:00 Tuesday -- while the highest-level red alerts were issued for the suburban districts of Fangshan, Mentougou, Huairou, Changping and Yanqing.
In the northern Huairou district, a total of 6,675 people were moved from at-risk areas into temporary resettlement sites. In the Sunhugou Village, the local village committee prepared instant noodles, bottled water, vegetables and other food in advance. In the vacant rooms, beds, bedding, and other essential relief supplies were also set up to offer a comfortable stay for more than 50 relocated residents.
"It was raining so heavily that we all sat in the living room all night and were too worried to sleep. We feel more at ease here, a bit more than we were at home. They provide us with kettles for boiling water, so we can boil it ourselves. We can even cook together here. They take pretty good care of us," said Yu Xiuhua, a local villager.
Many of those evacuated in the village are senior citizens, and extra special care was given to assist a number of elderly people who were living alone with disabilities or suffering from dementia.
"We have expanded our transfer plan to include all eligible individuals, not only those most in danger as before, including disabled elders. Group leaders have placed them in a safe spot to ensure their safety," said Sun Guiqi, deputy secretary of the Party branch of Sunhugou Village.
Meanwhile, work has been completely suspended at over 100 construction sites in Huairou, while nearly 60 flood prone mountain pathways were closed off as of 22:00 Tuesday as precautions were taken ahead of the expected deluge.
Over 6,600 people evacuated as Beijing suburban district braces for downpours
