Typhoon Gaemi Hits China After Devastating Taiwan and the Philippines
Typhoon Gaemi has made landfall in mainland China, causing widespread disruption after wreaking havoc in Taiwan and the Philippines.
26.07.2024: More than 150,000 residents of the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian have been evacuated to safer areas as the storm approaches. The typhoon follows devastating flooding and landslides in Taiwan and the Philippines, which have resulted in at least 21 fatalities.
In the Philippines, authorities are racing to contain an oil spill after a tanker carrying 1.5 million liters of industrial fuel capsized and sank off the coast. This incident is one of two shipwrecks that occurred on Thursday, with the other happening just off Taiwan’s southwestern coast.
China has activated its highest-level disaster warning as Typhoon Gaemi approached on Thursday evening. President Xi Jinping led a meeting with top Communist Party leaders to discuss flood control and disaster relief plans. Train services have been suspended in Fujian, and officials in northern China have warned of potential landslides and flooding due to heavy rains. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has emphasized a “high risk” of natural disasters.
China is currently experiencing highly variable weather, with heavy downpours in the east and south and scorching heatwaves in the north. Typically, heavy rain affects the region from mid-July to mid-August. Typhoon Gaemi’s path is similar to last year’s Typhoon Doksuri, which caused extensive flooding in northern China, though its trajectory could change.
In Taiwan, clean-up efforts are underway following the typhoon, the largest to hit the island in eight years and the first of this year’s storm season. Taiwan’s meteorological office reported over 1,000mm of rainfall in several areas between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon, with the southern city of Kaohsiung receiving 1,350mm of rain. This resulted in significant flooding, with water levels exceeding one meter in some areas and three confirmed fatalities.
A search and rescue operation is ongoing for six missing Burmese sailors after their Tanzania-flagged cargo ship, Fu Shun, sank off Taiwan’s northern coast. Despite challenging conditions, three crew members have been rescued. Additionally, five other cargo ships have run aground near the island.
In the Philippines, Typhoon Gaemi intensified seasonal monsoon rains, causing severe flooding in Manila. The storm led to the sinking of the MT Terra Nova, a tanker en route to Iloilo, with 17 crew members on board. The coast guard has recovered one body and rescued 16 crew members.
Efforts to manage the resulting oil spill, potentially the worst in the country’s history, are underway. The spill, described as “enormous,” stretches about four kilometers and threatens the marine environment. Manila Bay, where the tanker sank, is a bustling area with busy shipping lanes and nearby shopping malls, casino resorts, and fishing communities. Experts noted that under normal conditions, containment booms would be deployed to limit the spill’s spread, but bad weather has hindered these efforts.