Typhoon Saudel triggers mass evacuations across south-east China

Typhoon Saudel brought days of torrential rain to Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong provinces in south-east China last week. The city of Putian in Fujian province recorded 416.5mm of rain in a 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday, with surrounding villages recording more than 500mm in the same period. In Fujian, authorities estimated that almost 600,000 people were evacuated from high-risk, flood-prone areas, while a further 128,000 people in 53 counties across Jiangxi were affected.

The typhoon caused widespread damage including flooding, landslips and infrastructure destruction. More than 2,500 teachers and students were trapped in a school compound in Wenzhou on Wednesday after flash floods, and at least 1,260 people required rescue in Putian after a river embankment collapsed on Thursday, flattening 100 homes. A landslip in Suichuan county, Jiangxi province, on Saturday killed three people with nine others reported missing.