South Korea Asia Typhoon
Flights grounded in South Korea as Typhoon Hinnamnor nears
· MSNSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Hundreds of flights were grounded and more than 200 people evacuated in South Korea on Monday as Typhoon Hinnamnor approached the country's southern region with heavy rains and winds of up to 290 kilometers (180 miles) per hour, the strongest storm in decades.
South Korea’s weather agency said the country will start to feel the full force of Hinnamnor, the strongest global storm this year, by early Tuesday when it is forecast to graze the southern resort island of Jeju before making landfall near the mainland city of Busan.
Government officials raised concern about potentially huge damage from flooding, landslides and tidal waves. President Yoon Suk Yeol during an emergency response meeting on Monday urged maximum effort to prevent casualties. Prime Minister Han Duk-soo called for proactive efforts to evacuate residents in areas vulnerable to flooding.
Fishing boats are anchored at a port as Typhoon Hinnamnor travels toward the Korean Peninsula in Pohang, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. The typhoon, the strongest global storm this year, blew its way past Taiwan and the Koreas with fierce winds and heavy rains.(Son Dae-sung/Yonhap via AP)
As of Monday afternoon, Hinnamnor was over the open sea 290 kilometers (180 miles) southwest of Jeju. It has dumped 46 centimeters (18 inches) of rain in the central part of Jeju since Sunday, where winds were blowing at a maximum speed of 124 kph (77 mph) and were picking up.
This Sunday, Sept, 4, 2022 image released by NASA shows a composite image of Typhoon Hinnamnor, lower left, moving gradually northward into the East China Sea. Cities in eastern China suspended ferry services and classes and flights were canceled in Japan on Sunday as Typhoon Hinnamnor, the strongest global storm this year, blew its way past Taiwan and the Koreas with fierce winds and heavy rains. (NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) via AP)
South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety said there were no immediate reports of casualties. At least 11 homes and buildings were flooded in Jeju while more than 200 people were forced to evacuate in Busan and nearby cities because of safety concerns.
More than 360 domestic flights and 66 ferry services were grounded nationwide as of Monday afternoon while thousands of fishing boats returned to port. All schools in Busan and nearby southern regions are scheduled to be closed and shift to online classes Tuesday, officials said.
Waves crash on the eastern coast of Jeju Island, South Korea, as Typhoon Hinnamnor travels toward the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. Cities in eastern China suspended ferry services and classes and flights were canceled in Japan on Sunday as Typhoon Hinnamnor, the strongest global storm this year, blew its way past Taiwan and the Koreas with fierce winds and heavy rains. (Han Sang-kyun/Yonhap via AP)
Cities in eastern China suspended ferry services and classes and more than 100 flights were canceled in Japan on Sunday as Hinnamnor passed through the region.