China launches emergency response as typhoons approach

An emergency response plan to cope with two approaching typhoons was launched by the National Commission for Disaster Reduction (NCDR) on Wednesday.

The NCDR has urged civil affairs offices in coastal provinces and the three central provinces of Henan, Hubei and Hunan to prepare for typhoons Tembin and Bolaven. Disaster relief material reserve agencies in eight major cities in coastal and central China have also been told to prepare.

Civil affairs authorities at all levels have been told to track the locations of the storms and their development, and release warnings and disaster prevention messages to the public via media channels.

Disaster relief agencies should work with railway and other transport departments and ensure relief materials arrive in time, the NCDR said.

The NCDR has called for thorough safety checks in harbors, low-lying areas, mountainous regions, construction sites, schools and tourist attractions and asked local authorities to prepare shelters in case residents need to be relocated.

The commission required civil affairs authorities to stand alert and strengthen prevention efforts as more areas will be prone to natural disasters triggered by heavy rainfalls.

Typhoons Tembin and Bolaven are the 14th and 15th named storms of the 2012 Pacific typhoon season.

At 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, Bolaven was 2,027 km southeast of the eastern Zhejiang Province. It is expected to gather force as it moves toward eastern China at a speed of 15 km per hour, according to local meteorological authorities.

To cope with Bolaven, the city of Wenzhou on Tuesday activated a level IV emergency response, the lowest-level emergency response plan in China's four-level emergency response system.

Tembin has brought heavy rains to the northern Philippines, killing a teenager and triggering landslides and flash floods that have displaced thousands.

At 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, Tembin was 470 km southeast of Eluanbi at the southernmost tip of Taiwan, with winds of 172.8 km per hour, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

The storm is expected to move toward eastern Taiwan at a speeds between 10 and 15 km per hour, bringing strong winds to the area, the center added.