Typhoon Maria (2018)

Maria damaged a number of KC-135 aircraft in Andersen Air Force Base when passing near Guam as a tropical storm on July 5.[20] The air base recorded an unusually high wind gust of 154 km/h (96 mph) associated with the passage of a mesoscale convective vortex and an embedded hot tower—features that often support rapid intensification of tropical cyclones.[21] Several flights to and from the island were cancelled.[22] An islandwide power outage occurred on July 5 after gusty winds downed power lines, and the local weather radar was knocked out. Damage on the island was estimated at US$150,000.[23]

As a weakening typhoon, Maria made a direct hit on Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, on July 10.[24] On that day, schools in Miyakojima were closed,[25] while flights to and from Miyako Airport and New Ishigaki Airport were cancelled. Ferry services connecting Miyakojima and Ishigaki Island with the surrounding islands were suspended for ten days.[26] The sugarcane crop suffered severe wind damage, with some fields in Miyakojima reporting that up to 70 percent of their crops had been damaged.[27] Total damage in Okinawa Prefecture was about JP¥853.7 million (US$7.730 million), of which nine-tenths came from the sugarcane crop. Other crops affected included pineapple, mango, millet, and okra. Damage to infrastructure was limited, reaching JP¥6.75 million (US$61,100) in Kumejima.[28]

As Maria passed north of Taiwan, heavy rain and gusty winds impacted the island. Workplaces and schools were closed on July 10 and resumed operations on July 11. Services along the Taiwan High Speed Rail were interrupted by the adverse weather conditions.[29][30] The Forestry Bureau closed 14 national forest recreational areas from July 10 to 12.[31] A man in New Taipei City sustained fatal head injuries after losing his balance when inspecting his house.[32] Seven men and a woman were injured in northern Taiwan by falling branches. Strong winds caused 59,485 households to lose power, though the situation was mostly resolved by July 11. Agricultural damage in Taiwan was valued at NT$1.3 million (US$43,000).[33] The typhoon also eroded away part of Huaping Islet, causing its shape to now resemble a two-humped camel instead of a one-humped camel.[34]

Stormy weather over the Min River in Fuzhou on July 11

Ahead of Typhoon Maria, authorities initiated evacuations in coastal parts of Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. By July 11, at least 226,600 people were evacuated in Fujian,[35] while in Zhejiang, about 390,000 people were moved to safety, including 270,000 people from Wenzhou. In both provinces, fishing boats were ordered to return to port; the Port of Xiamen received 851 vessels, while 25,000 boats sought shelter in Zhejiang. Offshore fish farms in Fujian were closed and over 27,600 workers returned to shore. Ferry services between Xiamen and Kinmen were suspended. At least 200 train services in and out of Fujian were halted, while 206 flights to and from Zhejiang were cancelled. Across Fujian, 7,865 schools were closed and works at 4,439 construction sites were stopped. In Fuzhou, the provincial capital of Fujian, all schools and factories were closed on July 11.[36][37][38] In Jiangxi province, authorities evacuated over 1,100 people, closed 21 tourist attractions, and suspended passenger transport services to Fujian and Zhejiang.[39]

Fallen trees at Fuzhou University

Upon landfall in Lianjiang County on July 11, Typhoon Maria became the strongest July typhoon to make landfall in Fujian.[19] Maria brought heavy rains and gusty winds to Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Hunan, affecting 1.424 million people and causing direct economic losses of CN¥4.16 billion (US$629 million). A peak rainfall total of 313 mm (12.3 in) was recorded at Lishui, Zhejiang, while a peak gust of 59.3 m/s (213 km/h; 133 mph) was observed at Sansha in Xiapu County, Fujian. Storm surge from Maria combined with the astronomical high tide to create tides exceeding warning levels by up to 0.93 m (3.1 ft). A tide gauge at Shacheng in Fuding, Fujian observed a record high tide of 4.4 m (14 ft) above mean sea level.[40] Across Fujian and Zhejiang, about 37,300 hectares (92,000 acres) of cropland suffered damage, of which 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres) was completely destroyed. About 800 people in Zhejiang were rescued by emergency services, and 200 houses were damaged to varying degrees. In Fujian, 8,800 houses were damaged and another 300 were destroyed.[19] Widespread power outages occurred in Fujian: over 86,000 customers in Lianjiang County and another 240,000 customers in Fuzhou lost power. Knee-deep flooding occurred in some residential areas in Fuzhou, where the police deployed 1,623 personnel to assist in flood control efforts. Fujian's water infrastructure suffered CN¥76 million (US$11 million) worth of damage.[35] Communications in Fujian were severely disrupted, with 2,901 base stations taken offline and 315 km (196 mi) of networking cables damaged according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Authorities deployed 11,000 personnel across the province to conduct repairs.[41] In Ningde, direct economic losses reached CN¥959 million (US$145 million). At least 40 houses in the city collapsed and 184 businesses were shut.[42][35] Around 2,000 trees in Ningde were damaged by strong winds.[43] In Ji'an, Jiangxi, the typhoon affected more than 24,200 people, damaged 1,703 hectares (4,210 acres) of cropland, and caused CN¥13.61 million (US$2.060 million) in losses. A person in Ji'an County was killed by a tree that was felled by the typhoon's winds.[44]