China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SFCDRH) has set in place level-four emergency response plans as tropical storm Koppu heads toward a landing in Fujian Province between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, said Liu Ning, secretary-general of the SFCDRH and vice minister of water resources.
Koppu will be the 15th tropical storm to hit China's coastal regions this year
Liu has ordered relevant government departments to prepare disaster prevention and relocation precautions, including informing local residents about the storm's development via broadcasts, the Internet, and various multimedia avenues as early as possible.
Relevant departments have also been urged to strengthen safety checks to prevent mud flows, and step up examination of potentially-risky infrastructure in urban areas.
It is forecast Koppu will be active for three to four days at a speed of 20 to 25 kilometers an hour, Liu said.
The Fujian Provincial Observatory has warned of gales and heavy rainfall from Monday to Tuesday in the coastal cities of Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou and Longyan.
(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2009)
