Typhoon Soudelor: Massive Storm Makes Landfall in Taiwan
Soudelor made landfall in central Taiwan tonight.
— -- What's next for Typhoon Soudelor?
The powerful storm, which first hit the U.S. island of Saipan earlier this week, will continue on its path through the Pacific this weekend.
Here's what you need to know:
Where's the storm now?
Soudelor made landfall in Taiwan, according to a 5:30 pm ET bulletin from Taiwan Central Weather Bureau.
Soudelor is moving in a west/northwest direction at around 11 or 12 mph.
It may weaken to a tropical storm before it hits China later this weekend.
What's the potential damage?
The Taiwanese capital of Taipei could be vulnerable to the storm's strong winds.
Taipei has a population of 2.6 million and features a cityscape of tall buildings and skyscrapers.
But the real threat comes from the rain. When Soudelor slams into the mountain range that spans most of Taiwan, massive amounts of rain could cause substantial flooding and mudslides.
Rain totals could reach 8 to 10 inches in much of Taiwan and part of eastern China. Some mountain regions in Taiwan could see 10 to 20 inches of rain.
Soudelor is expected to be stronger than Taiwan's deadliest storm, Typhoon Morakot, in 2009. The rain and mudslides from Morakot led to over 450 deaths.
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