国内英语新闻:Four dead, millions affected as storms batter east China

JINAN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Rainstorms have left four people dead and affected more than 3 million people in east China's Shandong Province over the last week, local authorities announced Friday.

More than 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate low-lying areas, a spokesman with the Shandong Provincial Department of Civil Affairs said.

The storms have also inundated crops, damaged houses and killed livestock, the spokesman said.

The disaster has caused more than 1.5 billion yuan (238 million U.S. dollars) in direct economic losses, he said.

Local authorities have dispatched relief teams and supplies to disaster-hit areas, he added.