Year’s most powerful typhoon ‘Usagi’ ravages south China

Characterised as the most powerful storm anywhere on Earth, Typhoon Usagi killed at least 25 people in south China and Hong Kong on Sunday evening. The storm also led to cancelling of hundreds of flights, crippling power lines, and causing significant flooding.

According to Xinhua news agency, more than 80000 people have been evacuated in the Fujian province and 50000 disaster relief staffs have been sent to help them.

‘Usagi’ meaning rabbit in Japanese was classified as a severe typhoon that has winds of up to 180 kilometers per hour with gusts of up to 213 kmph in some areas of southern China. The typhoon tossed around trees, cranes, and cars.

In Guangdong province, the storm destroyed 7,100 homes and forced the evacuation of around 226,000 people. Damage was estimated at more than $500 million.

The storm before reaching south China killed two people in the Philippines and sparked landslides in Taiwan. Nine people in Taiwan were reportedly injured by falling trees.

 

Photograph by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NGDC, CLASS