China now! Super Typhoon Haikui lifts a car! Half a million people were evacuated in Fuzhou!

Flooding in China has washed away a fire truck due to Tropical Storm Haikui hitting the southeastern coastline According to the Fujian Meteorological Bureau, footage captured by the Fuzhou Fire Department shows residents being ferried along flooded roads in the city, where Typhoon Talim caused heavy rains. Reuters was able to confirm the location of the video: Fuzhou, Fujian province, China, from nearby buildings and signage that matched satellite and file images of the area. China has allocated 200 million yuan (about million U.S. dollars) to some regions affected by typhoons and floods, the Ministry of Finance said Tuesday. The funding allocated on Monday to support Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Guangxi and Hainan provinces will be used for various purposes, including relocating residents, removing hidden hazards and repairing damaged houses, according to a ministry statement. The ministry asked provincial-level financial authorities to disburse funds to needy areas in a timely manner, strengthen supervision of funds, prioritize the safety of people’s lives and property, and minimize casualties and material damage. Floodwaters washed a fire truck into a river in southeast China on Tuesday morning, leaving five crew members missing, local authorities said, as a second tropical storm hit the mainland in recent days. What was once Typhoon Haikui turned into a tropical storm when it swept along the coastline of Fujian and Guangdong provinces Tuesday morning, bringing up to two feet of rain to some areas as it moved inland, according to China’s meteorological agency. Water transportation and work along the coastline were suspended ahead of Haikui, which crossed Taiwan’s southern tip as a typhoon on Sunday without causing serious damage. Reuters news agency reported that more than 114,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas along the Chinese coast as the storm approached In recent months, China has seen some of the heaviest rains and deadliest flooding in years. Dozens of people have been killed, including in remote mountainous parts of the capital Beijing. Haikui followed Typhoon Saola, which made landfall early Saturday morning along the coast of Guangdong province. The typhoon hit Hong Kong last week, causing minor flooding Typhoon Haikui hit southeast China’s Fujian province Tuesday morning, at one point knocking a fire truck responding to a call into a flooded river. According to state broadcaster CCTV, one of the car’s crew members was killed and the other eight were rescued. The official China News Service said authorities had suspended all passenger transportation, including buses and cabs, in Yuntai county, where the accident occurred, after heavy rains and strong winds caused flooding and washed out roads. The storm also caused flight cancelations, train disruptions and school closures. Dozens of sea routes in the region were also suspended, including the four remaining routes connecting Fujian to Taiwan’s Kemoi, also called Jinmen, and Matsu. Haikui is the second typhoon to hit the coastal province in less than a week. Super Typhoon Saola last week affected nearly half a million people and forced tens of thousands to evacuate in Fujian province. On Monday, authorities warned that flooding was highly likely in some mountainous areas of southern Fujian province. As Haikui weakened, Fujian provincial authorities canceled emergency response to the typhoon, but maintained emergency response to heavy rain, which was expected to continue in Fujian and Guangdong provinces. On Monday, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management said 200 million yuan (27.5 million U.S. dollars) would be allocated to five provinces, including Guangdong and Fujian, for disaster relief.