China: Beijing Suffers Severe Summer Flooding, Leaving 20 Dead, 27 Missing

Torrential rain in areas around China's capital, Beijing, killed at least 20 people and left 27 missing, the government reported Tuesday, as flooding destroyed roads, uprooted trees and knocked out power. Thousands of people were evacuated to shelters in schools and other public buildings in suburban Beijing and in the nearby cities of Tianjin and Zhuozhou. The severity of the flooding took the Chinese capital by surprise. Beijing usually has dry summers but had a stretch of record-breaking heat this year. Other areas, especially China's south, have suffered unusually severe summer flooding that caused scores of deaths. Other parts of…