Typhoon Hits East ChinaA powerful typhoon has submerged 20,000 hectares of farmland, severely damaged more than 60 old seawalls and 224 boats in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province.In Zhoushan, Typhoon "Saomai" also damaged 128 wharves, destroyed 2,540 rooms and left two boats capsized, disaster relief officials said. Most of the town areas in Zhoushan are under water. In the town of Gaoting, water is as deep as one meter. The government has evacuated more than 20,000 people to safety. Saomai also wreaked havoc on Ningbo, another city in the coastal province. The local education commission has requested primary and second schools in the city to remain closed until the typhoon has abated. Vessels have started to stop transporting passengers across the sea since September 13. According to officials at the Zhejiang Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, the typhoon brought strong winds and downpour in the coastal areas. Ningbo was also hit by water and most of the districts are submerged under 30-40 centimeters of water. Water in some districts is one meter deep. In some areas, the tide has reached record high levels because this is also traditionally a high-tide season. The center of the typhoon is slowly moving northward. The typhoon caused Japan's heaviest rain in a century on Tuesday, triggering flooding and landslides that killed at least seven people. |
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