- For years, Beijing resident Gao enjoyed a big
apartment in the city's scenic west
and a Class-E Mercedes Benz.
But he lost it all this week, the result
of the most extreme rainfall to hit the Chinese capital
in 140 years.
- [SPEAKING CHINESE]
INTERPRETER: After everything, when we woke up in the morning,
we could see that the waters were still flowing normally.
Then all of a sudden, the water went over the bridge,
and then suddenly there was a mudslide
that blocked the bridge, and then
the water slowly seeped over.
There used to be a hill here and a wall.
And then the water went over the walls and came in.
- Raging water, caused by storms that followed Typhoon Doksuri,
destroyed his ground floor apartment
and washed away his car.
His front window is now blockaded by tree trunks.
Water came up to 12 inches shy of the ceiling.
And his living room is filled with debris, forcing him
and his wife into temporary housing.
- [SPEAKING CHINESE]
INTERPRETER: The two of us, my wife and I,
we ran for our lives.
The tables and chairs were all floating around.
It was to squeeze.
The water started to charge.
Afterwards, we ran to the second floor
and saw the water rushing from the back to the front.
All these trees and branches flooded into the living room
and blocked the house.
There might even be a car in here.
- Gao's apartment is in the Mentougou
district, about 40 kilometers from the heart of Beijing.
That's where the first two flood related casualties
were recorded in the city.
The area has been the worst hit by flooding.
The storm has killed at least 20 people in Beijing
and surrounding Hubei province, causing the worst flooding
in this area in decades.
The rains have since moved on to Northeast China,
thousands have been displaced and had their homes ruined.
But despite all this, GAO remains optimistic, simply
thankful to be alive.