Key Takeaways:
– Typhoon Bebinca, strongest typhoon since 1949, hit Shanghai, causing extensive damage.
– More than 414,000 people were evacuated preceding Typhoon Bebinca’s arrival.
– Power outages affected at least 380 households, and over 10,000 trees were uprooted or damaged.
– Tens of thousands of emergency personnel assisted in disaster management.
– As it moved inland, the typhoon weakened and impacted neighboring provinces.
– Thousands of flights were cancelled, causing significant disruption during China’s Mid-Autumn Festival.
Typhoon Bebinca Strikes Shanghai
Typhoon Bebinca, recognized as the strongest typhoon to besiege Shanghai since 1949, made landfall on September 16, 2024. Striking with winds of 94mph, the typhoon wreaked havoc in the bustling city. The calamity knocked out power for numerous residences, flooded roads with torrential rain, and injured at least one person.
In the lead up to the typhoon, more than 414,000 residents were evacuated. The wrath of Typhoon Bebinca was such that schools were shut down and individuals were advised to remain indoors.
Tree-Related Damage and Power Outages
The power of the typhoon’s gusts uprooted numerous trees and broke branches. In one incident, an elderly man on Chongming Island in Shanghai was injured by a falling tree and had to be taken to a hospital for treatment. Images from state media depict areas in the Pudong business district flooded and tree-branch covered roads.
Furthermore, authorities reported that the winds had damaged or uprooted over 10,000 trees, resulting in power outages for at least 380 households. In addition, four houses suffered damage.
Emergency Response
In response to the catastrophe, over 60,000 emergency responders and firefighters were deployed to aid Shanghai residents and manage the disaster situation. As the typhoon’s strength diminished, these emergency personnel worked tirelessly to clear objects and debris carried around by the storm.
Weather Impact on Infrastructure
Infrastructure was also battered by the typhoon. Among the impacts, at least 132 acres of farmland were inundated, highlighting the extensive reach of the typhoon’s damage.
Travel Disruption During Mid-Autumn Festival
As one may expect with such a forceful weather event, travel was severely impacted. Flights, ferries, and train services in the megacity and surrounding provinces ground to a halt, causing major disruptions during the country’s three-day Mid-Autumn Festival. The authorities cancelled hundreds of local flights and 180 more in neighboring Hangzhou, located 106 miles southwest from Shanghai.
However, as the storm moved away, flights at Shanghai’s airports resumed their operations on Monday afternoon.
Repeated Typhoons – A Peculiar Occurrence
Shanghai, home to 25 million people, rarely experiences typhoons, which generally make landfall further south in China. Typhoon Bebinca’s impact follows the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yagi on China’s southern Hainan Island earlier this month.
Climatologists suggest that due to climate change, typhoons like Bebinca are not only becoming stronger but also increasingly erratic. The main contributor to these severe weather patterns is believed to be warmer oceans, which provide more energy to fuel the storms.