At least 30 dead after Typhoon Gaemi cut off towns in China’s Hunan province

Hong Kong (CNN) — Heavy rains and floods from Typhoon Gaemi caused at least 30 deaths and left 35 people missing across eight towns in the southern Chinese province of Hunan, state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday, citing local authorities.

On Thursday, rescue teams reached eight towns that had been cut off from the outside world since last Sunday, due to destroyed infrastructure and power grids.

“As of 12:00 on August 1, the roads, electricity, and communications in the eight towns in Zixing City most severely affected by Typhoon Gaemi are largely restored, and search and rescue efforts have made significant progress,” the local authorities confirmed to Xinhua.

Rescue operations are still underway, local authorities said.

In response to the severe flooding in Hunan, China raised its emergency response level to better support local disaster relief efforts and ensure basic living security for the affected people, the country’s Ministry of Emergency Management said Thursday.

Typhoon Gaemi initially made landfall in China on the evening of Thursday July 25, with winds approaching 110 kph (70 mph). The storm continued west-northwest through China, bringing heavy rainfall and winds, with forecasters predicting that rainfall could range from 150 to 250 mm (6 to 10 inches), with amounts up to 400 mm (15 inches) in higher elevation areas and along the coast.

The storm previously caused torrential flooding in Taiwan, with rainfall in five townships totaling over 1,285mm (50 inches).

Typhoon Gaemi was deflected off its forecasted track by Taiwan’s mountainous terrain and spent more than six hours offshore, making a loop near the Hualien coastline instead of making landfall on the evening of Wednesday, July 24.

Farther south, Gaemi had also flooded much of the Philippine capital after it worsened torrential monsoon rains.

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