2 dead as Typhoon Usagi makes landfall in China

Two people died from a falling tree Sunday as typhoon Usagi made landfall in south China's Guangdong province, local authorities said. Super Typhoon Usagi is the strongest of the season and made landfall at 7:40 p.m. local time in Shanwei City, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported. The typhoon's center packs winds up to 100 miles per hour, the provincial meteorological station said. Just prior to landfall, powerful storms associated with the typhoon felled a tree in Shantou City, killing two people, Xinhua reported. Usagi was expected to hit the Pearl River Delta sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning, the news agency said. In preparation for the season's most powerful typhoon, lasses were suspended in Xiamen City, while major Chinese airlines canceled flights to cities in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, and Hong Kong and Macao. Fujian also suspended shipping transport between China and Taiwan as Usagi approaches. Storms associated with Usagi damaged three major power lines, knocking out power to 170,000 households in Fujian Sunday morning. Power supply companies said they were working to restore power. Thousands of people were evacuated from low-lying coastal regions in Fujian due to the possibility of floods. The province's flood control headquarters ordered extra patrols to carry out emergency repairs as needed to prevent embankment breaches, Xinhua said.