TAIPEI, Taiwan. Shanghai was struck by Typhoon Bebinca on Monday, marking the strongest storm to hit the city since 1949. The typhoon brought devastating winds, torrential rains, and widespread power outages, injuring at least one person and causing significant damage across the financial hub. As the storm swept through, more than 414,000 residents were evacuated from the city, and authorities advised people to stay indoors.
Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in the Pudong business district around 7:30 a.m., with wind speeds reaching 151 kilometers per hour (94 mph) near its center. The storm quickly flooded roads and downed trees, leaving parts of the district blanketed with fallen branches and debris. State media broadcast images of the flooded streets, and as the storm subsided, responders worked swiftly to clear the damage.
Emergency response teams were fully mobilized. Over 60,000 responders and firefighters were on standby, working to clear roads and restore order. According to local authorities, more than 10,000 trees were either uprooted or damaged, and power outages affected at least 380 households. Four homes were reported as damaged, and at least 53 hectares (132 acres) of farmland were flooded.
In a particularly concerning incident, an elderly man on Shanghai’s Chongming Island was injured by a falling tree. He was quickly taken to the hospital for treatment.
Flight disruptions further compounded the effects of the storm, with Shanghai’s airports canceling hundreds of flights on Sunday and into Monday. Hangzhou, located about 170 kilometers (106 miles) southwest of Shanghai, also canceled over 180 flights. Ferries and train services across the city and neighboring provinces were suspended, impacting travel during China’s Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.
Authorities began resuming flights at Shanghai’s airports on Monday afternoon as the typhoon moved inland. The storm, which had initially battered Shanghai, weakened as it passed over the Jiangsu, Anhui, and Zhejiang provinces, leaving widespread damage in its wake.
Typhoon Bebinca comes after Typhoon Yagi, which hit China’s southern Hainan island earlier this month and left devastation across Southeast Asia. In Myanmar, Yagi caused at least 74 deaths, with dozens more missing. Vietnam reported over 230 deaths due to the storm, with continued flooding and landslides wreaking havoc across the region. The impact of these storms has highlighted the increasing severity of tropical weather systems in the region.
Shanghai, home to more than 25 million people, is rarely hit by typhoons, as storms usually make landfall further south in China. However, this latest storm has brought into focus the need for enhanced preparedness as extreme weather events become more frequent.
Local authorities predict that up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) of rain could fall in parts of Shanghai and neighboring provinces between Monday and Wednesday, raising concerns about further flooding and damage. As the city works to recover from Typhoon Bebinca, the focus now shifts to restoration efforts and ensuring public safety.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
