An elder watches the flood on the balcony at home in Xiangtan County, central China's Hunan Province, June 24, 2010. Torrential rain and more water from its upper reaches had greatly driven up water levels in the Xiangjiang River. In Xiangtan County, the river could rise to a record 42 meters by Friday, as downpours had been pounding the county since 3 p.m. Wednesday, said county flood control officials. Efforts have been made to check and remove safety hazards at more than 100 reservoirs in the county. [Xinhua]