This is seen once in a century; There are dead - terrible footage VIDEO

Strong storms have ravaged southern China since Thursday, with 11 people missing in torrential downpours that flooded cities and washed away cars.

It has been raining heavily in the southern province of Guangdong for the past few days. The rivers have swelled up to seven meters, and the fear of major floods, which local media say is seen once in a century, has increased, the Daily Mail reports.

Three deaths were reported in Zhaoqing City, and one rescuer died in Shaoguan City. Another ten people are missing, and the search and rescue continues.

Across the province, 36 houses collapsed and 48 were severely damaged, resulting in a direct economic loss of nearly 140.6 million yuan, China's Xinhua News Agency reported.
 

More than 110,000 people were displaced across Guangdong.

Of these, more than 45,000 were evacuated from the northern city of Qingyuan. Authorities said the river is expected to reach levels not seen in 50 years.

Terrifying footage shows large swathes of land submerged in murky water and rescuers ferrying people away in lifeboats as the water reaches waist-high.
 

Photos show murky water engulfing shops, homes and farmland, while aerial photos show concrete jungles drowning in floodwaters.

One photo shows a vehicle crushed after a tree fell on it, while footage from Saturday also shows the bridge collapsing and plunging into the river as winds batter the area.

Hail with a diameter of three centimeters was also recorded, breaking the roofs of houses and causing chaos.

Authorities yesterday rushed to rescue residents in landslide areas and evacuate those trapped, sending helicopters and carrying elderly people on their backs through the flood. Others stayed on the upper floors of their houses waiting for the water to recede, while friends delivered food to them by boat.

Several major rivers have burst their banks, and authorities say they are closely monitoring "dangerously high" water levels.

About 1.16 million households remained without electricity during the weekend. Due to the incessant rain, flights were canceled and delayed, and schools were closed in at least three cities.

Heavy rainfall is expected to continue, and meteorologists predict thunderstorms and strong winds. Authorities have warned that river levels in northern Guangdong could reach a peak not seen in the past hundred years.

Guangdong province is a densely populated manufacturing hub in China, home to about 127 million people who are now under disaster alert.