Typhoon Noul Weakens in Southern China as Flood Response Continues

Typhoon Noul weakened after making landfall in southern China on July 26, but Guangdong authorities continued emergency operations on July 27 as heavy rain kept the risks of flooding, landslides and urban waterlogging in focus.

More than 801,000 people had been relocated for safety in Guangdong, according to Associated Press reporting that cited China’s official Xinhua News Agency. The figure describes an official relocation effort, not a confirmed count of people displaced by storm damage.

The response moved from preparation to flood control

Before landfall, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management coordinated with weather, water, transportation, housing and natural-resources agencies and sent a work team to Guangdong. Its July 24 briefing warned of mountain floods, geological disasters, flooding in smaller rivers and urban waterlogging, while directing officials to strengthen monitoring, evacuations, drainage and the positioning of rescue equipment.

That focus remained important after Noul weakened. A tropical cyclone can lose wind strength after moving inland while still producing rainfall capable of overwhelming drainage systems, raising river levels or triggering mudslides in mountainous areas. For residents, businesses and transport operators, the immediate question shifted from whether the storm would make landfall to whether roads, power systems, waterways and low-lying neighborhoods could absorb the continuing rain.

Emergency lighting sent to Shanwei and Jieyang

Guangdong’s grain and materials-reserve authorities reported a concrete post-landfall logistics step on July 27: 473 pieces of emergency equipment were dispatched to Shanwei and Jieyang. The shipment included mobile lighting towers, explosion-proof flashlights and portable inspection lights, according to the Guangdong Provincial Grain and Materials Reserve Bureau.

The supplies were assembled from provincial reserve warehouses after an instruction was received on the night of July 26. The first vehicle left within two hours, and the full shipment was delivered to designated locations and handed over at about 5 a.m. on July 27, according to the provincial notice.

Lighting equipment is a practical response tool during flood operations. It can support nighttime inspections, work around damaged or flooded infrastructure, and rescue or supply activity when power is disrupted or transport routes are difficult to use. The notice confirms delivery to Shanwei and Jieyang; it does not establish how the equipment was subsequently deployed at individual sites.

What officials are watching next

The main hazards after Noul’s landfall were no longer limited to strong winds. Authorities were watching river levels, mountain flooding, landslides, drainage failures and access to affected areas. Early recovery would depend on whether emergency crews could reach communities, maintain communications and clear or secure infrastructure while rainfall continued.

For southern Guangdong, the next updates should clarify whether flood-control measures can be scaled back, whether additional evacuations are needed and whether damage assessments lead to broader recovery support. The storm’s weakening marks a change in response posture, not the end of the emergency.

Sources

• Associated Press: Typhoon Noul weakens after making landfall
• China Ministry of Emergency Management: Guangdong typhoon response briefing
• Guangdong Provincial Grain and Materials Reserve Bureau: Emergency supplies sent to Shanwei and Jieyang