Ships are being called back to harbor and residents evacuated as
incoming Typhoon Kaemi approaches southeastern China's Fujian, Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces, according to local
authorities on Monday.
As at 6 PM Monday in Zhejiang, over 25,000 ships had sought
shelter in protected harbors, 80,000 people in low-lying areas were
evacuated to higher ground, and 185 million cubic meters of water
in reservoirs and 50 million cubic meters in rivers sluiced to
prevent floods.
In Fujian, 622 ships returned to harbor following an order by
the provincial office for flood and drought relief for people and
vessels to return before 10 AM Tuesday.
Passenger ferry services between Xiamen in Fujian and Jinmen in
Taiwan will be suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In Guangdong, emergency plans were drafted at 4 PM Monday. Li
Ronggen, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, ordered all offshore
ships back and the evacuation of all residents at risk.
Kaemi was located at latitude 22.3 north and longitude 122.2
east in waters 700 kilometers southeast of Taiwan's Hualian at 8 PM
Monday.
It is packing maximum winds of 40 meters per second and
barreling northwestward at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour.
Meteorologists estimate that Kaemi will make landfall in
southern or central Taiwan at about 2 AM Tuesday and hit Fujian on
Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
Kaemi will unleash heavy rains in Fujian, Guangdong and
Zhejiang. Local governments have warned residents of possible
floods and landslides.
(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2006)
