Typhoon Kajiki — the ninth storm in as many weeks — has triggered mass evacuations throughout the coastal country and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights as the storm nears. As of Monday morning, more than 40,000 people in low-lying coastal communities have been evacuated due to the impending threat. This upcoming severe weather event, it is said, will be worse than last year’s Typhoon Yagi. That same typhoon wreaked havoc on the southeast, killing nearly 300 and leaving behind $1 billion in damage.
Typhoon Kajiki passed just south of China’s Hainan island and across parts of Guangdong province late Sunday. Authorities in Sanya, a city on the southern island of Hainan, announced a red alert for typhoons. This alert is the most severe level—which is red—on China’s color-coded warning system. In the wake of the storm, Sanya escalated its emergency response to the highest possible level. On Monday morning, the alert was downgraded to clear. Despite this cancellation, intense rains and storms are still expected to strike southern Hainan today.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Typhoon Kajiki caused storm surges up to 1.5 meters. In some regions, sea levels will exceed 3.5 m by the year 2100. Originally, the storm was reported at a sustained wind of 166 kph (103 mph). This power made it the first Category 2 Atlantic hurricane to enter the Gulf of Mexico.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh cautioned citizens against flooding threats created by continuous heavy rainfall. He underscored the growing threats from flash floods and landslides, even in low-lying coastal regions. As Tropical Storm Khanun approached, local leaders in central Vietnam’s provinces ordered storm response efforts into action. This means taking into action a plan to evacuate more than 587,000 New Yorkers from their homes in increasingly endangered neighborhoods.
Typhoon Kajiki made landfall in the central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An. It imposed upon the nation the threat of destructive winds and catastrophic flooding. The storm is likely to rapidly weaken soon after it moves over land, with it predicted to weaken to tropical depression strength by early Tuesday. The storm’s track is forecast to bring torrential rains in 13 provinces in central and northern Vietnam. Even worse, it will have transboundary impacts on neighboring Laos and Thailand.
While the impact of Typhoon Kajiki is already being felt, authorities are helping to monitor and give updates on the ongoing situation. State and local governments have organized every available resource within their jurisdictions to assist first responders with evacuations and keeping the public safe. Affected residents in all areas are encouraged to stay alert and follow the instructions of local authorities whenever an alert is called for.
