Officials said water levels could match those of 1998 when serious flooding caused widespread damage and economic loss.

Pang Daomu, vice-governor of Hunan, said the entire province was put on a state of emergency at midday Wednesday.

Heavy rain since August 11 has led to soaring water levels in the province's two rivers -- Zishui and Xiangjiang -- as well as the Dongting Lake. Water levels rose above the warning line Wednesday.

More than 1,819 kilometers of dykes at the Dongting Lake, one of the biggest lakes along the Yangtze River, has seen water surge past the warning line.

People were already being evacuated from areas close to the lake, which acts as a catchment for the historically flood-prone Yangtze River.

But if Dongting Lake bursts its banks, then water flowing down the Yangtze could threaten neighboring Hubei Province and its capital Wuhan.

Changsha, capital city of Hunan, which is located by Dongting and the Yangtze River and has millions of residents, is in serious danger of being hit by floods.

More than 100,000 local officials and 750,000 laborers are working around the clock on flood defenses. Nearly 4,000 soldiers have left for Yueyang, Yiyang, Changde and others cities in Hunan to fight the floods.

Tropical storm Wongfong struck South China Monday evening, causing travel chaos and torrential rain in the south of the country.

In Guangdong Province, at least 140,000 farm animals have been killed in Zhanjiang after the typhoon tore through the port city, in the western part of Guangdong, on Tuesday.

The tropical storm, which was accompanied by raging showers and strong winds, wreaked havoc across the city.

It caused damage estimated at more than 250 million yuan (US$30.12 million).

A total of 1.16 million people in 71 townships were buffeted by the storm, which destroyed more than 4,000 homes and damaged almost 12,500 others.

An estimated 46,000 hectares of cropland was flooded, while more than 450 manufacturers had to stop production because of damage caused by the typhoon.

About 155 coastal dykes with a combined length of more than 33 kilometers were destroyed and 108 reservoirs were demolished or damaged. Trees and advertising billboards were blown down.

Despite the widespread devastation, no deaths were reported. The cities of Maoming, Wuchuan and Lianjiang were also hit by Wongfong, the 14th typhoon or tropical storm to strike China this year.

More than 230,000 people in 79 townships in Maoming were affected.

(China Daily August 22, 2002)