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A Super Typhoon Makes Landfall

Vocab level: B2
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Massive waves crashing over sea walls.
Trees snapping like twigs.
And torrential rain.
That's what's happening right now in Taiwan.
Typhoon Kong-Rey, a powerful storm, struck this week.
It's the largest typhoon to hit the island since 1996.
If this storm were a car, it'd be cruising at 125 miles per hour.
That's how fast the winds are blowing.
What makes Kong-Rey special is not just its speed, though. It's the size.
The storm's strongest winds extend about 200 miles.
That's like having a storm that can be as wide as almost the entire state of Maine.
The impact? Well, it's been significant.
Sadly, one person has lost their life.
And dozens of others have been injured as of the time of the tapping of the show.
Taiwan has called in over 34,000 soldiers to help with rescue efforts,
and evacuated more than 8,600 people from dangerous areas.
More than 500 flights have been canceled, including 300 international ones.
Even the famous High-Speed Rail is running at limited capacity.
Taiwan's weather experts warned about extremely torrential rainfall.
And that is their highest warning level.
Some areas in eastern and north Taiwan could see an additional 20 inches of rain.
Which could lead to flash flooding and landslides.
Scientists say that warmer oceans are making the storms like Kong-Rey intensify more quickly than they used to.
This is actually Taiwan's third typhoon this year.
After Taiwan, Kong-Rey is not done yet.
The storm is headed toward the East China Sea and Japan.
You can head to cnn.com for the latest updates on its path.