Typhoon Fanapi Lands in Fujian

Typhoon Fanapi, the 11th and strongest typhoon to hit China this year, struck southeast China's Fujian Province at 7 a.m. Monday, according to Fujian provincial flood control headquarters.

Fanapi hit Gulei Town, in Fujian's Zhangzhou City, lashing the province's coastal areas with winds and torrential rains.

Winds near the center reached 35 meters per second, and rainfall of more than 250 mm was predicted to hit parts of Fujian, as the typhoon moved inland at a speed of 20 km per hour, according to the provincial weather bureau.

Gulei, a frequent target of tropical storms, was hit by typhoon Lionrock on September 2.

Schools in Zhangzhou City were closed Monday and two local primary schools were used to shelter construction workers.

"Gulei has more than 3,000 workers living in makeshift houses at construction sites. All of them have been relocated. About 2,600 are staying with local residents and 400 are taking shelter in the schools," said Chen Hanfu, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) committee of Zhangpu County, which administers Gulei.

It was the first time that Tang Fudi, a migrant worker from the inland province of Sichuan, had encountered a typhoon. "It didn't seem very scary," Tang said.

The rain was not so heavy in Gulei, but the rolling waves testified to the force of the strongest typhoon to hit Fujian this year.

But the silver lining is that the heavy rainfall is much needed as Zhangzhou enters the dry season with 470 local reservoirs only half full.

In Xiamen City neighboring Zhangzhou, primary and middle schools and kindergartens were all closed.

"With such strong winds and rain, it is difficult for adults to get around, let alone the kids, so it's better for them to stay at home," said Yang Diwang, a Xiamen resident.

Few people were on the streets Monday morning, with the storm uprooting trees, ripping off tree branches and knocking over billboards.

People took taxis to work. "It's very difficult to hail a cab today. I waited for half an hour," said resident Yang Yanhui.

No casualties have been reported and damage is yet to be assessed.

Fujian provincial flood control headquarters warned of possible flooding, landslides and debris flows and asked flood control officials to relocate people in risk areas, said Zhang Changping, vice governor and commander-in-chief of the headquarters.

Meteorological authorities in the coastal cities could lift their typhoon warnings if the impact of wind and waves subsided, said Zhang.

Taiwan's meteorological department Monday morning lifted the typhoon warning for land areas as the typhoon moved away, but the department warned of strong winds and heavy rains continuing in Kinmen and Penghu.

As of 10 p.m. Sunday, 76 people had been injured and more than 10,000 had been evacuated in Taiwan since the typhoon landed in Hualien on Sunday morning, local emergency response department said.

The local agricultural department estimated agricultural losses could exceed 100 million New Taiwan dollars ($3.15 million), with fruit crops, including bananas and persimmons, worst hit.

Schools in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Chiayi, and Pingtung remained closed because of the heavy rains.

(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2010)