SHANDONG, China, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- A series of snowstorms in northern and central China has affected more than 9 million people, killing 32, stranding thousands and ruining crops, officials said.
The storms, which began Monday, collapsed 15,000 buildings and ruined almost 750,000 acres of winter crops worth 7 billion yuan ($1 billion), the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced Sunday.
Airports and major highways in affected provinces were closed and local authorities were scrambling to find clothing, food and water for millions displaced by the storms, the ministry said.
One area recorded its greatest snowfall in 55 years and was covered in more than 14 inches of snow, China's state-run Xinhua news agency said.
The provinces of Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, Shandong and Shaanxi were heaviest hit.
