Death toll rises from Lekima third largest typhoon ever in China

Reuters reports the the death toll from typhoon Lekima in eastern China rose to over 40 people, as the storm continued up the coast, racking up billions of dollars in economic losses and widely disrupting travel. China’s state broadcaster said on Sunday more than 3,200 flights had been canceled and high-speed railway lines suspended.

Typhoon Lekima first made landfall early on Saturday in China’s Zhejiang province, with winds gusting up to 187 kmh (116 mph). Many of the earlier deaths occurred when a natural dam collapsed in Zhejiang after a deluge of 160 mm (6.2 inches) of rain within three hours.

The Shandong Emergency Management Bureau said more than 180,000 people were evacuated in the province, adding to an earlier evacuation of roughly 1 million people in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces as well as the financial hub of Shanghai.

The latest update from Shandong brings the total estimated economic toll of the storm to 18 billion yuan ($2.55 billion) in China, including damage to 364,000 hectares of crops and more than 36,000 homes. Shandong alone estimated the total economic impact on agriculture was 939 million yuan.

Lekima is China’s ninth typhoon this year.

A summary of damages as of 12 August, as per Government of China statistics:
45 Fatalities in Shandong, Anhui and Zhejiang
16 People missing in Shandong and Zhejiang
1.45 Million People evacuated in Shandong, Anhui and Zhejiang
8.34 Million People affected in Shandong and Zhejiang

This entry was posted in Humanitarian Aid, Uncategorized by Grant Montgomery.