BEIJING: More than 16,000 people have been evacuated as rainstorms lashed parts of central China’s Hunan Province. Heavy rain began to hit northwestern Hunan yesterday, affecting more than 1,20,000 people, with roads destroyed and power supply cut in some areas, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief office. A total of 16,450 people have been evacuated, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. In the worst hit Huayuan county, rainfall reached 150.4 mm. The heavy rain is expected to last until tomorrow, according to local meteorological station.