Super Typhoon Saola forces mass evacuation in Yunfu, China

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 Sep 2023 09:41
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Thousands are evacuating Yunfu City due to flooding caused by super typhoon Saola, while the storm wreaks havoc in several provinces.

A motorist commutes past a fallen fence of a golf course in the aftermath of Typhoon Saola near a coastal village in Hong Kong, China on September 2, 2023. (AFP)

Chinese authorities in the prefectural city of Yunfu, situated in the southwestern region of Guangdong province, have undertaken a massive evacuation operation due to the floods triggered by super typhoon Saola.

Continuous heavy rainfall associated with the approaching typhoon has resulted in a significant rise in water levels along the Luoding River, posing an imminent risk of flooding leading to the evacuation of around 8,000 people, according to local emergency authorities.

"As of 22:25 [14:25 GMT], on September 3, 7,960 people have been evacuated from dangerous areas of Yunan county [in Yunfu]," authorities stated.

The China Meteorological Administration had previously issued the highest level of emergency response for regions in southern China in anticipation of the typhoon, which has intensified concerns over the potential for widespread flooding and other weather-related hazards.

Typhoon Saola made landfall in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong early on Saturday as violent winds lashed nearby Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macau, leaving at least one dead and a trail of destruction and flooding in many areas.

The Chinese financial hub of Hong Kong and the neighboring populous province of Guangdong had canceled hundreds of flights on Friday and shut businesses, schools, and financial markets as Saola edged closer.

Packing winds of more than 200 kph as a super typhoon, Saola was among the strongest storms to menace the southern province since 1949. It became a severe typhoon, Chinese authorities said, as it made landfall in Zhuhai city with winds slowing to around 160 kph.

Railway operations in Guangdong were allowed to gradually resume from 8:30 AM (local time), the railway operator said.

Saola follows another typhoon dubbed Khanun, which hit regions in South Korea and Japan and led to heavy rainfall in northeastern China, while Typhoon Doksuri hit its southern regions from late to early August.

Since records began 140 years ago, Storm Doksuri, a former super typhoon that made landfall on mainland China last Friday, has brought the region's worst rainstorms ever.