Widespread flooding triggered by Typhoon Narra submerged homes and forced mass evacuations across southern China, displacing more than 54,000 residents as severe weather systems simultaneously impacted Taiwan and Japan, according to state television reports and meteorological agencies.
Typhoon Narra Submerges Southern China
Authorities in Chongzuo, located in China’s Guangxi region, evacuated more than 15,000 people on Tuesday after water levels surpassed a record high set in 2008, according to municipal notices. Rising floodwaters overflowed into urban areas, reaching the rooftops of buildings and submerging power lines. State television reported that total relocations across Guangxi reached 54,000 residents.
Narra made landfall as a tropical storm on Tuesday evening in China’s southern island province of Hainan. The system had lingered over the Beibu Gulf for several days, dumping heavy rain across Guangxi, Hainan, and Guangdong. State media warned that heavy rain would persist through Wednesday, with torrential downpours forecast for Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, and Fujian.
Did you know? Chongzuo in China’s Guangxi region is famous for its giant waterfalls and karst limestone mountains, landscapes that face severe flash-flood risks during regional typhoon landfalls.
Typhoon Saudel Threatens Taiwan and Japan
As Narra impacted the Chinese mainland, medium-strength Typhoon Saudel tracked toward southern Japan and northern Taiwan, bringing sporadic heavy rain. Japan’s weather agency issued warnings for destructive winds and high seas as the storm approached the southwestern islands of Okinawa prefecture, according to official advisories.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration stated that Saudel is expected to pass north of the island starting late Thursday into Friday, though its intensity is forecast to gradually weaken. Officials noted uncertainty regarding the exact timing and volume of rainfall the storm will deliver before it makes landfall on the southeastern Chinese coast in Fujian province.
Severe Flooding and Casualties in Southern Taiwan
While preparing for Saudel, southern and eastern Taiwan already experienced severe flooding from a separate tropical depression. The Taiwanese government reported one person dead and four missing in the cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung, which house a combined population exceeding 4 million residents.
Government figures show that nearly a meter (3.9 feet) of rain fell in Kaohsiung over a three-day period from Sunday to Tuesday. Officials stated that this total exceeded the rainfall recorded during 2009’s devastating Typhoon Morakot, which killed about 700 people and caused up to $3 billion in damages.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Typhoon Narra make landfall?
Typhoon Narra made landfall as a tropical storm on Tuesday evening in China’s southern island province of Hainan, following days of lingering over the Beibu Gulf.
How many people were evacuated in China’s Guangxi region?
Authorities relocated a total of 54,000 people across Guangxi, with more than 15,000 evacuations concentrated in the city of Chongzuo alone after river levels exceeded 2008 records.
What impact is Typhoon Saudel expected to have?
Typhoon Saudel is forecast to bring sporadic heavy rain to northern Taiwan and destructive winds to Japan’s Okinawa prefecture before hitting China’s Fujian province from late Thursday to early Friday.
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