The
strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai since at least 1949 made landfall early
Monday (September 16) with powerful winds and heavy rains after more than
400,000 people were evacuated.
Flights,
ferries and train services were suspended in the megacity and in neighboring
provinces, disrupting travel during China’s three-day Mid-Autumn Festival.
Shanghai’s airports canceled hundreds of flights starting Sunday and through
Monday, while in Hangzhou, about 170 kilometers (106 miles) southwest of
Shanghai, authorities were also planning to cancel more than 180 flights.
More
than 60,000 emergency responders and firefighters were at hand to lend aid in
Shanghai, according to state media. More than 414,000 people had been evacuated
by Monday.
Bebinca
made landfall around 7:30 a.m. in the sprawling Pudong business district with
maximum winds of 151 kph (94 mph) near its center. Authorities expected the
typhoon would also affect the nearby provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui.
Shanghai,
which has 25 million people, is rarely hit by strong typhoons, which usually
make landfall further south in China.
Typhoon
Yagi hit China’s southern Hainan island earlier this month and has caused
devastation in Southeast Asia. In Myanmar, Yagi caused at least 74 deaths with
dozens missing. Four deaths were reported in Hainan, at least 10 have died in
Thailand and 20 in the Philippines.
Vietnam has reported more than 230 people killed in the typhoon and subsequent flooding and landslides, with dozens more still missing.