The province of Guangdong, which is home to more than 127 million people and is the economic engine of the nation, was on alert Monday in anticipation of record floods that could wreak devastation throughout the region.

Guangdong, a major industrial and commercial area, was battered by intense rain over the weekend, resulting in landslides that buried buildings and floods that engulfed cities. On Sunday, provincial officials announced that 148 rainfall alarms had been issued and that the Bei River was predicted to reach levels not seen in fifty years.

Authorities reported that over 85,000 individuals had been taken from their houses. The storms caused at least 1.16 million homes to lose electricity, and more than 1,000 schools were closed on Monday. On Sunday, record precipitation for April was reported by at least four local meteorological stations.

Sunday’s cross-country race had to be canceled due to racers becoming momentarily stranded in the woods with waist-high floods until they could be rescued.