Rainfall has begun to ease across southeast China's Fujian Province after days of downpours brought by Typhoon Danas, prompting local authorities to lower the flood emergency response level from Level III to Level IV at 9:00 on Saturday.
However, officials warn of the risk of geological disasters due to accumulative heavy precipitation in certain places and the unpredictable nature of secondary hazards.
Risk inspections and patrols have been intensified at potential hazard sites and high-risk areas, with timely evacuation measures in place to protect residents under threat.
Typhoon Danas, the fourth typhoon of the year, has weakened to a tropical depression over Ningde City, Fujian Province, at 09:00 on Wednesday, according to China's meteorological authorities.
Though weakened, the typhoon has still left its mark on the region with widespread rainfall.
In Haicang District of Xiamen City, floodwaters along the city's Dongfu Avenue rose above waist level in some areas, trapping residents and vehicles. Firefighters waded through the submerged streets, using safety ropes to reach stranded individuals.
In the Lvyuan Xincheng community, five people, including a woman who had just given birth, were rescued from a stalled car. After safely evacuating the passengers, rescue crews pushed the vehicle to higher ground.
In another community, firefighters in the Xinanxi neighborhood rescued a 90-year-old man who was trapped in his flooded home.
Transport services were also disrupted. On Friday, speed restrictions were imposed on sections of the Fuzhou-Xiamen High-Speed Railway, resulting in delays for multiple passenger trains. Operations have since gradually returned to normal.
At Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, of the 586 scheduled flights, 85 were delayed. Airport traffic has so far resumed normal operations.
Meanwhile, some ferry routes between Xiamen and Gulangyu Island, a pedestrian-only island off the coast of Xiamen, were suspended at 13:55 on Friday due to poor visibility at sea. Full service on the ferry lines was restored later that afternoon.
Rain eases in Fujian Province as authorities urge continued vigilance against disasters
