Two powerful tropical storms hit eastern China back-to-back late Thursday and early Friday, forcing over 800,000 people to leave their homes for safer shelter. So far, only three deaths have been reported.
Typhoon Damrey hit the province of Jiangsu first. The storm made landfall near Xiangshui county around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. Jiangsu and southern Shandong province were drenched with heavy rain. Officials reported flooding in the lower reaches of Yellow River. At least one mudslide occurred in the city of Qingzhou, killing 3 people and leaving at least 1 missing.
Shortly before 7 a.m. Friday, tropical storm Saola struck Fuding in Fujian Province. The province of Zhejiang was also affected. Authorities in both areas warned of possible flooding and mudslides.
Saola was a typhoon when it battered the Philippines and Taiwan earlier in the week. In the Philippines, officials say Saola dumped as a much as 1.5 feet of rain. Nearly 180,000 people were displaced by severe flooding and at least 23 people died. The Office of Civil Defense reported about 2,700 homes were damaged or destroyed.
The typhoon made landfall in northeast Taiwan around early Thursday. The storm was packing 98 mph winds and dumped nearly 6 feet of rain in the northern mountainous region of Taipingshan. At least 5 people were killed.
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