Wang Youlin drove his boat back and forth on Friday, his eyes fixed on a rural resort that he had been running for more than six years and that was now mostly submerged.

On Thursday, a dike between Liangzi and Niushan lakes in Wuhan was blown up to disperse surging floodwaters that had been above its highest safety level. After the explosion, about 50 million cubic meters of water flowed from Liangzi to Niushan, submerging an area of 25 square kilometers, including Wang's resort. The Hubei provincial government said that submerged areas would be permanently restored to lakes.

Wang, 57, is one of 1,658 people evacuated from the flooded area.