China launches emergency response as typhoons approach

 BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- An emergency response plan to cope with two approaching typhoons was launched by the National Commission for Disaster Reduction (NCDR) on Wednesday.

The NCDR has urged civil affairs offices in coastal¹ provinces and the three central provinces of Henan, Hubei and Hunan to prepare for typhoons Tembin and Bolaven. Disaster relief material reserve agencies in eight major cities in coastal and central China have also been told to prepare.

Civil affairs authorities at all levels have been told to track the locations of the storms and their development, and release warnings and disaster prevention messages to the public via media channels.

Disaster relief agencies should work with railway and other transport departments and ensure relief materials arrive in time, the NCDR said.

The NCDR has called for thorough safety checks in harbors, low-lying areas, mountainous regions, construction sites, schools and tourist attractions and asked local authorities to prepare shelters in case residents need to be relocated.

The commission required civil affairs authorities to stand alert and strengthen prevention efforts as more areas will be prone² to natural disasters triggered by heavy rainfalls.

Typhoons Tembin and Bolaven are the 14th and 15th named storms of the 2012 Pacific typhoon season.

At 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, Bolaven was 2,027 km southeast of the eastern Zhejiang Province. It is expected to gather force as it moves toward eastern China at a speed of 15 km per hour, according to local meteorological authorities.

To cope with Bolaven, the city of Wenzhou on Tuesday activated³ a level IV emergency response, the lowest-level emergency response plan in China's four-level emergency response system.

Tembin has brought heavy rains to the northern Philippines, killing⁴ a teenager and triggering landslides⁵ and flash floods that have displaced thousands.

At 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, Tembin was 470 km southeast of Eluanbi at the southernmost tip of Taiwan, with winds of 172.8 km per hour, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

The storm is expected to move toward eastern Taiwan at a speeds between 10 and 15 km per hour, bringing strong winds to the area, the center added.

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

3 activated   

adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The canister is filled with activated charcoal.蒸气回收罐中充满了活性炭。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。