"The reservoir behind the massive Three Gorges dam, the world's largest hydropower project, had swollen to the highest level ever and floodwaters were flowing faster than in 1998 when a devastating deluge killed more than 4,000 people," Reuters reported.
[More trouble: China scrambles to keep oil spill contained | Oil-eating bacteria deployed]
No ships will be allowed to use Three Gorges' shipping locks until the flow slows, but a road next to the dam has been opened "so urgent shipments can be driven past the locks and reloaded on other boats downstream," Reuters said, citing reports from the official China Daily.
Images from the Chinese flooding have been chilling.
Click photo for a slideshow of Three Gorges Dam and the Chinese deluge
