Videos capture dramatic water rescues after Typhoon Talim slams China
Talim became the first typhoon to make landfall in China this year when it crashed ashore along the southwestern coast on Monday evening.
The city of Fuzhou, China, was submerged underwater by severe flooding from Typhoon Talim on July 17, prompting many rescues. Talim is the first typhoon of the year to make landfall in the nation.
Rescue operations were underway after Typhoon Talim made landfall in China's southern Guangdong province Monday. Talim left streets inundated with water, a whale was washed ashore and a freezer full of ice cream floated off in floodwaters.
Talim became the first typhoon to make landfall in China this year when it struck the coast of the Leizhou Peninsula, which is southwest of Hong Kong, Monday night. The storm was the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds around 80 mph.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls, Talim made a second landfall on the border of Guangxi and Guangdong provinces after it traveled across the Leizhou Peninsula.
Nicholls said some areas recorded wind speeds greater than 100 mph. Shangchuan Dao, China, located northeast of the Leizhou Peninsula, recorded wind gusts of 103 mph (165.7 km/h). Winds in Hong Kong reached 47 mph (75.6 km/h), according to Nicholls.
A video shared on social media captured the intensity of the winds in the typhoon's eyewall. Sheets of rain could be seen in the video as well.
Firefighters rescued people who were trapped in their vehicles after the gusty winds knocked trees over onto several cars, BBC reported.
The city of Nanning, which is located northwest of where Talim made landfall, had to suspend 69 passenger trains, and at least 12 other trains were shifted to alternative routes, The Associated Press reported.
In addition to the gusty winds, rainfall totals surpassed a foot in some localized areas, according to Nicholls. Beihai, which is located to the west of the Leizhou Peninsula, measured 7.28 inches, while a total of 6.14 inches was recorded just north of Beihai in Qinzhou.
In a video from Reuters, firefighters from the Fuzhou Fire Department could be seen conducting water rescues after water levels rose above many people's waistlines on Monday. Instead of cars or trucks, firefighters drove boats down flooded roadways. According to CCTV, more than 1,000 villages in Fuzhou were affected, while more than 50 had to be evacuated.
Another video showed residents crowding around a whale that washed ashore during the storm. According to the post, the whale was able to swim away after rescuers came to its aid.
Ahead of Talim's landfall, local officials in Guangdong closed 68 coastal tourist destinations, called back over 2,700 fishing vessels back, and ordered more than 8,300 fish farm workers to be evacuated, Reuters reported. Altogether, more than 230,000 people were evacuated from Guangdong.
Additionally, schools and the stock market were both closed in Hong Kong Monday ahead of Talim's landfall, the AP reported.
According to Nicholls, it's "fairly common" for typhoons to make landfall in this region of China.
"The region averages about six typhoon strikes each year," said Nicholls.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
