ThousandsfleeasstormhitsChina

　　Tuesday,July19,2005Posted:1408GMT(2208HKT)

　　ApedestrianstruggleswithanumbrellainChangle,China.

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　　HaitanghitsTaiwan,forcingschoolsandfinancialmarketstoshutdown(1:42)

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　　ManageAlerts|WhatIsThis?SHANGHAI,China--ChinaevacuatedmorethanonemillionresidentsalongitssoutheasterncoastasatyphoonthatdevastatedTaiwanhitthemainlandonTuesday.

　　Taiwan'sCenterforDisasterReliefsaidatleastfourpeoplehaddiedsinceTyphoonHaitangbatteredtheislandadayearlier.

　　OnemanwaskilledbyfallingrocksinsoutheasternTaiwan,twowomendrownedandanothervictimwassweptawaywhilefishing.Anotherfishermanisalsoreportedmissing.

　　Dozenswerealsoinjuredasthetyphoon'slashingwindsandtorrentialraintoppledtrucksandfirefighterstriedtocleartheroadsoffallentrees,billboardsandotherdebris.

　　Rescueworkersusedhelicoptersandjetskistorescue21crewmembersfromacargoshipthathadpartiallysunknearthesouthernportofKaohsiung.

　　Taiwan'sCouncilofAgriculturesaidtheisland'sfarmshadsuffereddamageestimatedat$14.2million,whileReutersputthetotaldamagecausedbythestormat$41million.

　　Thetyphoon,downgradedtoatropicalstormaswindspeedsdroppedtoaround119kilometers(74miles)anhour,hittheChinesecoastaltownofHuangqiinFujianprovinceonTuesdayafternoon,alocalmeteorologicalagencyreported.

　　Heavyrainwasfallingoverthesoutheasternprovinceandfloodingandlandslideswereexpected,theAssociatedPresssaid.

　　ChinaCentralTelevisionsaidthatonemillionpeopleinFujianandneighboringZhejianghadfledtheirhomestotemporaryshelters,while5,000armedpolicehavebeenmobilized,withreservoirsanddikesmonitored.

　　Fishingboatsandmerchantshipshavealsobeenorderedtoreturntoport,theofficialXinhuanewsAgencysaid,whileanumberoflocalairportshavebeenclosed.

　　China'scommercialcapitalofShanghaiisalsothreatenedbythetyphoon,Xinhuareported,withriversswellingtodangerouslevels.

　　Taiwanbattered

　　InTaiwan,workersstartedclearingupthedebrisafterthefirsttyphoontohitTaiwanthisyear.

　　WeatherforecasterssaidtorrentialrainwouldcontinuetopummelTaiwanthroughtoWednesday,andwarnedresidentstowatchoutforflashfloodsandlandslides.

　　Haitanghasalreadydumpedmorethanonemeter(over3feet)ofrainonmountainousareas.

　　ThestormturnedtheTaiwanesecapitalTaipeiintoavirtualghosttownonMondaywithoffices,businessesandschoolsclosing.Taiwan'sfinancialmarketsandairportswerealsoorderedclosed.

　　JournalistTingWaiTufromETTVsaidtherehadbeeninstancesofcollapsedbridgesandmudslides,andoffarmersattemptingtosavelivestock.

　　"TheCentralWeatherBureaugaveanadvancewarning...sopeopleprettymuch...boughttwodaysoffoodfromsupermarkets--sotheyshouldbeOK,"saidTing.

　　Previoustyphoonshavebrough