Typhoon Bavi made landfall in China's Zhejiang province on Sunday, bringing destructive winds and heavy rain to the eastern coast [1].
As the most powerful storm to hit mainland China this year, Bavi threatened critical economic centers. The storm generated massive waves and urban flooding that disrupted infrastructure in some of the region's most productive industrial hubs.
Chinese authorities coordinated large-scale evacuations ahead of the landfall on July 12 [1]. Reports on the total number of displaced residents vary across sources. Some reports indicate more than two million people were evacuated [1], [4], while other estimates range from 1.7 million [3] to nearly three million [2]. Other accounts suggest a lower figure of more than one million [6] or specifically 1.8 million [5].
The storm caused significant damage in the coastal cities of Wenzhou, Yuhuan, and Yueqing. These areas serve as major economic hubs and bore the brunt of the storm's initial impact before the system began to weaken.
Following its landfall in Zhejiang, the storm tracked toward other major regions. Authorities monitored the system as it moved toward Shanghai, Liaoning, and Beijing [1].
Emergency response teams remained active throughout the weekend to manage the flooding and ensure the safety of those in the storm's path. The combination of high winds and torrential rain created hazardous conditions for urban centers and coastal villages alike.
“The most powerful storm to hit mainland China this year”
The impact of Typhoon Bavi on Zhejiang province highlights the vulnerability of China's eastern economic corridor to extreme weather. Because this region contains critical manufacturing and shipping hubs, the scale of the evacuations and the resulting urban flooding could lead to short-term disruptions in regional supply chains and industrial output.
