100,000 Evacuated As Massive Flooding In China Threatens Ancient Giant Buddha Statue

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Community workers and volunteers deliver food and supplies to flood-affected residents after heavy rains in Neijiang in China’s southwestern Sichuan province on Wednesday.

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A main road in China, is shown inundated with flood waters, on Wednesday.

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Another view of a flooded street in Chongqing, taken on Tuesday.

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An aerial photo shows the Leshan Giant Buddha surrounded by floodwaters following heavy rains in Leshan in China’s southwestern Sichuan province on Wednesday.

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Roads Become Rivers: Nearly 4 Million Chinese Evacuated Or Displaced From Flooding

The Three Gorges Dam, part of a massive hydroelectric project completed in 2003, was meant to tame Yangtze flooding. However, its reservoir lake has been 10 meters (32 feet) above its critical flood level for more than a month, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Macau had been bracing for Typhoon Higos, which looked to have southern China in its sights. However, Hong Kong’s Observatory cancelled its typhoon warning on Wednesday as the storm moved away from the city.

China’s state media also reported recently that landslides backed up a river in Gansu province at the city of Longnan, trapping 48 people on rooftops.