Typhoon Bavi evacuates nearly 2.8 million in eastern China

Nearly 2.8 million people have been evacuated in eastern China as Typhoon Bavi, the most powerful storm to strike the mainland this year, brought destructive winds and torrential rain over the weekend. The typhoon made successive landfalls along the coast of Zhejiang province late Saturday, July 11, before moving inland and weakening to a tropical storm.

The storm first struck the coastal city of Yuhuan around 11:20 p.m. local time Saturday, followed by a second landfall near midnight in Yueqing, part of Wenzhou city. Violent winds toppled more than 1,300 trees in Yueqing alone, with 700 uprooted entirely, according to state media reports. Residents described a night of fear and disruption. "The winds were very strong," Yueqing resident Li Liangxing said. "We could hear roof tiles and tree branches falling." He noted severe flooding in his area, with a canal rising to submerge a walkway.

While there have been no official reports of fatalities or injuries on the mainland, the storm caused significant property damage. In the coastal fishing town of Kanmen, shop owner Lin Yongjin estimated his losses at more than 6,000 yuan after his shop took a direct hit. "After it came ashore,...