Typhoon Strikes Shanghai with 94-MPH Winds, Prompting 400,000 Evacuations

Beijing has witnessed an unprecedented weather event as the strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai since 1949 made landfall early Monday. The typhoon brought fierce winds and heavy rain, leading to the evacuation of over 400,000 residents in the area.

In response to the storm, flights, ferries, and train services throughout the megacity and nearby provinces have been suspended. This disruption occurs during China’s three-day Mid-Autumn Festival, typically a time of celebration and travel. Shanghai’s airports canceled hundreds of flights starting Sunday and extending into Monday. Meanwhile, authorities in Hangzhou, located roughly 170 kilometers southwest of Shanghai, were also preparing to cancel around 180 additional flights.

Over 60,000 emergency responders and firefighters have been mobilized to assist in the response efforts in Shanghai, according to reports from state media. By Monday, over 414,000 individuals had been successfully evacuated from the city’s vulnerable areas.

The typhoon, identified as Bebinca, made landfall around 7:30 a.m. in the bustling Pudong business district. At its center, it recorded maximum winds of 151 kilometers per hour (94 miles per hour). Meteorological authorities are concerned that the effects of the storm will extend to adjacent provinces, including Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui.

Shanghai, home to approximately 25 million residents, is not frequently targeted by severe typhoons, as such storms typically make landfall in southern regions of China. This rarity has heightened the city’s apprehension as residents and officials grapple with the unexpected strength of the storm.

Earlier this month, Typhoon Yagi also struck southern China’s Hainan island, causing widespread devastation in Southeast Asia. Reports indicate that Yagi has led to a tragic loss of life, with at least 74 fatalities in Myanmar and many people unaccounted for. The storm also claimed the lives of four individuals in Hainan and left at least 10 dead in Thailand, alongside 20 lives lost in the Philippines.

The human toll in Vietnam has been particularly severe, with more than 230 individuals confirmed dead due to the typhoon and subsequent flooding and landslides. The ongoing rescue operations are still searching for dozens of missing persons, underlining the disaster’s far-reaching impact across the region.

The consequences of these typhoons illustrate the growing threat posed by extreme weather events in Asia, as climate changes continue to intensify storms and their effects on diverse populations. Authorities in Shanghai and other affected regions are now faced with the challenging task of managing the aftermath of the storm while ensuring the safety and well-being of their communities.

With the situation continuing to evolve, residents are urged to stay alert and heed warnings from local authorities. As the response and recovery efforts unfold, the full extent of the damage caused by Typhoon Bebinca is still being assessed.