Storm slams Shanghai as locals stay at home(2)

Shanghai's flood prevention agency has had more than 100,000 men on standby since Tuesday to handle emergencies across the city. The men will remain on standby until the typhoon warning is lifted, said Zhang Zhenyu, the agency's deputy director.

Traffic interruptions

Shanghai's airport authority said that Shanghai Pudong International Airport had canceled 474 flights and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport had canceled 234 flights as of 5 pm Wednesday.

A press officer surnamed Zhang with China Eastern Airlines told the Global Times that it will take four to five days to clear the backlog of passengers delayed due to the storm.

Zhong Yi, a local resident who was scheduled to fly from Hongqiao Airport to Shenzhen at 8 am Wednesday, told the Global Times that all hotlines were busy in the morning, leaving her no choice but to wait at the airport.

The airport urged passengers to check flight information on its official website as hotline operators had been overwhelmed since Tuesday afternoon. Another 34 overseas flights operated by Dragon Air and Cathay Pacific were also canceled, affecting nearly 3,000 passengers scheduled to fly to Hong Kong.

The storm also disrupted the city's subway system Wednesday. Shanghai Shentong Metro Group announced that service on Line 2 between Guanglan Road Station and Pudong International Airport Station was suspended at 12:30 pm due to strong winds.

The Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone and Wuzhou Avenue stations on Line 6 were temporarily shut down as flying debris disrupted power lines. The operator imposed speed limits on Line 1 between the Hengshan Road Station and the Shanghai South Railway Station.

"The operator saw passenger volumes collapse this morning as many workplaces closed due to the typhoon," said Lan Tian, the operator's press officer. "Passenger volume was 46.7 percent lower than normal during morning rush hour."

The glitches in public transportation helped overwhelm the city's taxi services.

Qiangsheng Taxi Group said its dispatch center received more than 20,000 calls from 8 am to 9 am, five times more than it gets on the average weekday.