Lashed by Typhoon Dolphin’s outer bands, Shanghai endured torrential rains and gale‑force winds Sunday, unleashing urban flooding that spurred emergency crews to drain swamped streets and residential areas.
Starting early Sunday, Shanghai was drenched by heavy downpours that flooded more than 100 road sections across Pudong, Huangpu, Changning and Xuhui. The severe waterlogging stalled vehicles and disrupted traffic, prompting authorities to mobilize rescue teams.
The municipal water authority stepped up coordinated drainage through rivers, sluice gates and pump stations, while the Shanghai Municipal Investment Group deployed 32 mobile pump trucks to support intensive relief operations across the city.
The severe weather also caused dangerous water backflow in older residential compounds and low-lying zones. In one such incident in Songjiang District, severe flooding was reported in the underground areas of a residential building, posing safety risks such as electrical short circuits and power leaks from damp appliances.
Upon receiving the emergency call, the Songjiang Fire Department rushed to the scene. After assessing the situation, rescue personnel quickly deployed high-capacity water pumps from their fire engines, managing to drain 600 tons of floodwater per hour into a nearby river.
As of the latest update, surface water on the roads at the compound has been successfully cleared, while drainage operations in the underground spaces are still underway.
Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th of the year, made landfall at Yuhuan of Taizhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, at around 17:30 on Sunday, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).
Shanghai hit by torrential rains, flooding from Typhoon Dolphin
Shanghai hit by torrential rains, flooding from Typhoon Dolphin
