Nearly 260,000 people affected by typhoon in Henan

ZHENGZHOU - Nearly 260,000 residents in Central China's Henan province have been affected by Typhoon Rumbia, the 18th this year, local authorities said Sunday.

The province was hit by heavy downpours on Friday and Saturday, resulting in flooding in a number of cities and districts.

The provincial civil affairs department said that, as of 9 p.m. Saturday, heavy rain brought by Typhoon Rumbia has caused direct economic losses of more than 42.8 million yuan (6.2 million U.S. dollars) including 42.5 million yuan in agricultural losses.

No casualties have been reported so far, but 259,000 people and nearly 20,000 hectares of crops have been affected and 138 houses damaged.

Local civil affairs departments have dispatched personnel to disaster-hit areas to evacuate and relocate affected residents and examine the damage.

They are also monitoring changes in the weather, river water levels, and disaster conditions.