China sends task forces to guide typhoon response in Guangdong, Hainan

A fisherman prepares to go home at Bohe port in Dianbai, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) and three other government departments have sent task forces to Guangdong and Hainan to guide flood and typhoon prevention work as Typhoon Yagi is set to make landfall along the coasts of the two provinces.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Thursday held a meeting with seven departments, including the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration, analyzing the development of the typhoon and assessing the trends of disasters it brings, such as floods.

According to the meeting, Typhoon Yagi is likely to be the strongest typhoon to hit China's southern coast since 2014, making flood and typhoon prevention work very challenging.

An MEM official has urged all relevant parties to declare an emergency state for typhoon prevention, and to strengthen multi-departmental consultation and assessment procedures.

The headquarters has organized a total of 2,178 emergency rescue personnel and 492 pieces of equipment for key flood and typhoon prevention areas, and the National Disaster Reduction Commission and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration have allocated 70,000 disaster relief supplies to Guangdong and Hainan, including folding beds, towels and family emergency kits, the MEM said.