Why Is China Flooding?

• Position: THE BIG PICTURE

Having brought the coronavirus that may have originated within its borders largely under control, China began struggling with a new crisis this summer: flooding. Unusually heavy rains--more than double the seasonal average--wreaked havoc in central and southern areas of the country, leaving hundreds dead and disrupting the economy's post-pandemic recovery. By mid-August, flooding had affected at least 63 million people, destroyed 54,000 homes, and caused at least $26 billion in economic losses. In this photo from July, residents in a boat float by a submerged house near

Poyang Lake in Jiangxi province. Experts say extreme weather is worsening around the world, with climate...