Swathes of northern China are submerged in filthy floodwater after days of historic rainfall battered the capital city of Beijing and surrounding areas. Torrents of brown water swept tons of rubbish through a park in suburban Beijing, while normally bustling main streets in Hebei province to the southwest of the capital turned to rivers. "The floodwaters reached the second floor, approximately 4 meters high. Nearly all the factories in our area were seriously damaged", a Hebei resident surnamed Liu tells AFP. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES