Chinese city recovering from worst floods in century

Power supplies, transportation and communication are being restored in the city of Yuyao in east China's Zhejiang province that has experienced its most severe flooding in a century.

Yuyao has been one of the places worst hit by Typhoon Fitow this week, and over 70 percent of the downtown area was flooded.

Over 830,000 people from 21 townships in the city have been affected, though no casualties have been reported.

As of 3 p.m. on Thursday, Yuyao had recorded precipitation of 501 mm. It was a sunny day on Thursday and there will be no rain in Yuyao until next Monday at the earliest, according to weather forecasts, bringing relief for the rescue efforts.

The water level dropped by more than 30 cm on Thursday in the downtown area but cars still could not move in the waters over 1 meter deep in places. Services along 15 bus routes resumed on Thursday, said Zhang Jianli, deputy head of the Yuyao municipal transportation engineering bureau.

"The top priority is to resume public transportation and unclog the trunk roads," said Zhang.

The gas supply was fully restored on Thursday, and about 80 percent of water supplies were back online by noon, with 95 percent services expected by Thursday night, according to the microblog of Yuyao municipal government.

Twenty-five vehicles with emergency generators arrived in Yuyao City on Thursday, providing power to important utilities, including waterworks, hospitals and supermarkets.

The complete resumption of power will takes time, according to the municipal power grid company, as the water level is still high.

Residents relocated in temporary settlements are receiving bottled water, bread and instant noodles at dozens of relief centers scattered across the towns.

Pan Yinhao, executive vice mayor of Yuyao, said on Wednesday the flood water is not expected to recede completely until Saturday due to the deep water and poor drainage.