The typhoon triggered “historically rare, large-scale and persistent heavy rainfall” in the province in early July, the authorities said. In Nanning, 90 towns were affected, 23,300 people were evacuated and 136 people died, including 107 following the collapse of two dams. In Guigang, 20,500 people were evacuated and 23 died, the local government said.

These two cities planned to recover within a year, with improvements to flood control and reservoir defences, the authorities said.

The typhoon, which first made landfall in Hainan province on July 3 and again between Guangxi and Vietnam the following day, inflicted more damage on the southern region than expected.

Breaches and flooding were detected at multiple reservoirs, while entire sections of the Liulan Reservoir’s dams gave way. Videos at that time showed a rush of muddy water engulfing fields and trapping people on rooftops. One man was pulled from floodwaters by a drone.