Typhoon Narra's record flooding displaces tens of thousands in southern China
Typhoon Narra caused record flooding in China's Guangxi region, submerging homes and prompting the evacuation of over 54,000 people. The storm made landfall in Hainan after lingering over the Beibu Gulf, with heavy rain continuing across southern China and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Typhoon Saudel is approaching Japan and Taiwan, bringing risks of destructive winds and high seas.
The flooding in Chongzuo surpassed a 2008 record, with waters reaching building rooftops and submerging power lines. Local officials ordered all businesses and tourist operations to close, while urging evacuated residents to avoid returning to high-risk zones. The storm lingered over the Beibu Gulf for days before making landfall in Hainan as a tropical storm, then continued dumping rain across Guangxi, Guangdong, and Hainan. Forecasts called for torrential rain to persist through Wednesday in parts of Vietnam and southern China, including Fujian.
Separately, Typhoon Saudel approached Okinawa and northern Taiwan, with Japan warning of destructive winds and high seas. Taiwan’s weather agency noted uncertainty in rainfall timing, while a prior tropical depression had already caused one death, four missing, and nearly a meter of rain in Kaohsiung—exceeding totals from Typhoon Morakot in 2009. Saudel was expected to reach Fujian’s coast late Thursday or early Friday, gradually weakening.
This event could strain emergency services and infrastructure in densely populated southern China and Taiwan, where flooding already threatens homes, power, and livelihoods. The scale of evacuations—over 54,000 in Guangxi alone—may disrupt local economies, tourism, and daily life for weeks. In Taiwan, rainfall exceeding Morakot’s levels could heighten public anxiety about disaster preparedness, while Japan faces potential wind and sea hazards. Long-term, repeated extreme storms may pressure governments to invest in flood defenses and early-warning systems, though immediate recovery and safety remain the primary concerns.