Typhoon Tapah hits southern China, triggering widespread emergency responses

Typhoon Tapah, the 16th typhoon this year, made landfall in Taishan City, Guangdong Province, at 8:50 a.m. on September 8, with strong winds reaching force 11. It is now moving west toward Wuzhou City in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Multiple emergency responses have been activated in Guangdong and Guangxi. Ahead of the typhoon, Guangdong authorities issued over 120 million public warnings and coordinated large-scale evacuations, relocating more than 1,900 people from marine construction platforms. Several tourist sites have temporarily closed and rail and ferry services – including Qiongzhou Strait crossings – have been suspended. More than 6,000 power repair personnel have been mobilized in Guangdong. Extensive flood prevention measures are in place as Tapah continues to bring heavy rain and wind to the region.