At the time of writing, heavy rains since July 18 have caused devastating floods and affected over 1.2 million people in central Henan province, with 51 people confirmed dead and over 160,000 displaced.
All of the reported death toll came from the provincial capital, Zhengzhou, which saw its heaviest recorded rainfall in modern history—202 millimeters of water in one hour—between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on July 20. Much of the city, including hospitals, have been without power from that time until today, and is still without clean water. The city's subway system, where 12 passengers perished in a flooded tunnel on July 20, remains shut down, and buses and many train lines have stopped running—some rail passengers were stranded in Zhengzhou East Railway Station until today, while others were trapped for more than 30 hours on board trains that had gotten stuck in the rain before help arrived.
Rescue teams and volunteers have mobilized around the country to help displaced people and send supplies to affected areas, while around the city, there are tales of everyday heroism and ordinary people doing what they can to help one another and make the best of the situation. The following collection of photos and quotes from Henan residents illustrate what life has been like in the last 72 hours since the floodwaters hit:
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