Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on China’s eastern coast on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2024, triggering mass evacuations and widespread transport disruptions.
The storm's intensity forced authorities to issue the highest alert level to prevent potential flooding and landslides in densely populated coastal regions.
Chinese authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 1 million people [1] to move them away from the path of the storm. The typhoon brought maximum wind speeds of 150 km/h and heavy rain [2] as it struck primarily in Shanghai and Zhejiang province [1].
Transportation networks suffered significant delays. Around 1,400 flights were cancelled in Shanghai [2], while other reports indicated more than 1,000 total flight cancellations across the region [1]. These disruptions coincided with broader transport halts intended to keep citizens off the roads during the peak of the storm.
Emergency officials monitored the coastal landfall closely to manage the impact of the wind and rain. The scale of the evacuation reflects the high risk associated with the storm's projected trajectory along the eastern coastline [1].
“Over 1 million people were evacuated”
The scale of the evacuation and the immediate shutdown of major aviation hubs in Shanghai demonstrate the high vulnerability of China's eastern economic corridor to extreme weather. By prioritizing mass movement over economic continuity, authorities aimed to mitigate the human cost of potential landslides and urban flooding.
