People run away from high waves at the levee in Lianyungang, a coastal city in east China's Jiangsu province, Oct. 7, 2007. Affected by Typhoon Krosa, heavy wind swept through the sea area near Lianyungang on Sunday and surged big waves as high as 10 meters. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Oct. 8 -- Typhoon Krosa has slammed into the country's eastern coastal areas. Almost 1.5 million people have been evacuated from Fujian and Zhejiang. But no causalities have been reported so far.

    Meanwhile, provincial governments have been preparing relief materials to be distributed to the affected areas. David Rathbun has the latest.

    Krosa, the 16th typhoon this year, hit land about 3:30 pm on Sunday near the borders of Zhejiang's Cangnan County and Fujian's Fuding City. By 5 pm, it had weakened to a tropical storm.

    The powerful storm was moving northward at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour. It was expected to sweep through Zhejiang Province before reaching the East China Sea.

    The Zhejiang Provincial Flood Prevention and Drought Relief Headquarters says over 1.1 million people had been evacuated by 9 pm on Sunday.

    In addition, around 75,000 vessels were recalled to harbor as a precautionary measure ahead of the typhoon.

    The Fujian Provincial Civil Affairs Department has allocated 3.5 million yuan in relief funds. It has also prepared tents, quilts, rice and bottled water for those affected.

    Schools, airports, expressways and shipping services in some areas have been shut down.

    Meanwhile, the provincial governments of Fujian and Zhejiang have been warned of more strong rainstorms and landslides in coming days.

    Fujian and Zhejiang have also been closely monitoring landslide-prone areas and examining reservoir dams. On Sunday morning, some reservoirs began to discharge water.

    Earlier, Krosa swept through Taiwan where it left at least four people dead. Two people are still missing and 52 others have been injured.

(Source: CCTV.com)

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