In the summer, rivers in Zhuozhou flooded more than 200 villages and 150 residential areas, affecting over 490,000 people and 1,685 businesses, the local government said, adding that the direct economic losses were 19.48 billion yuan ($2.74 billion).

In Zhaowang, more than 130 households experienced flooding that caused significant damage to properties throughout the village. Zhao's house was classified as a level-C dangerous home, meaning that her family could remain in the property, but some repair work was needed.

After the floodwaters receded, the family began repairing and reinforcing the house. "The reinforcement work was successfully completed with the help of the local government and the work group," she said. "We then bought some new furniture and moved back into the house in early November."

Statistics from the Zhuozhou bureau of housing and urban-rural development show that some 18,000 rural houses in the city have been repaired, 29,000 such properties reinforced, and 124 new rural homes built. All the recovery and reconstruction work scheduled for the area last year has been completed.

Work on the remaining 6,000 rural houses that need to be rebuilt will start in the spring, said the local government, which has also provided free construction materials for those in need.

On a bitterly cold day last month in Diaowosi, another flood-affected village in Zhuozhou, the streets were clean and tidy, with a number of wall paintings appearing on the roadsides, including one depicting relief work after the flooding.

"We showed the rescue work in the form of cartoons on the walls to remind us of the importance of working together in the face of disaster," said Zhang Kewei, 44, the village's Party chief, who took office immediately after the floods receded.