Typhoon Dolphin made two landfalls on China's east coast, flooding roughly 100 roads and underground passages in Shanghai [1].
The storm's intensity tested the urban infrastructure of one of the world's largest financial hubs, forcing massive population shifts to avoid casualties.
Landfall occurred between 17:30 and 18:00 on Sept. 9, 2024 [1]. The 13th named typhoon of the season struck the coastal cities of Taizhou and Ruicheng in Zhejiang province, as well as Fujian province, and the Shanghai municipality [1].
At the first landfall, the storm produced maximum wind speeds of 42 m/s [1]. In parts of Shanghai, the system dropped more than 200 mm of rain in a single day [1]. This volume of precipitation overwhelmed local drainage systems, leading to the flooding of about 100 city roads and underground passages [1].
Authorities initiated large-scale evacuations to protect residents in the path of the storm. Reports on the scale of these movements vary. One report said at least 210,000 people were evacuated from Zhejiang, Fujian, and Shanghai [1]. However, a Reuters estimate indicates that more than 1 million people were evacuated across the typhoon-affected region [2].
The storm's impact was concentrated along the eastern coastline, where the combination of storm surges and torrential rain created hazardous conditions for coastal cities. Emergency services focused on clearing flooded thoroughfares and managing the displaced population in temporary shelters.
“Typhoon Dolphin made two landfalls on China's east coast, flooding roughly 100 roads and underground passages in Shanghai.”
The flooding of 100 key transit points in Shanghai highlights the vulnerability of mega-city drainage systems to extreme precipitation events. While the evacuation of over one million people suggests an effective early warning and response system, the sheer volume of rain—exceeding 200 mm in 24 hours—demonstrates the increasing challenge of managing urban water runoff during high-intensity typhoons.