Which Typhoons Have Caused the Most Severe Impact on Shanghai in History?
TyphoonSays·防御问答 · Regional Typhoons · 更新 at 2026-10-18
Reviewing the history of typhoon disasters in Shanghai, the most destructive typhoons generally fall into two categories: those that made direct landfall or closely tracked northward along the Shanghai coast, and those that made landfall in Zhejiang but whose core circulation deeply affected Shanghai. These extreme weather events have not only left profound memories of disaster but also driven the iterative upgrading of Shanghai's urban disaster prevention system.
Iconic Typhoons in Modern History: From Destruction to the Beginning of Defense
In the mid-to-late 20th century, several major typhoon events reshaped Shanghai's understanding of disaster prevention. Typhoon "Gloria" in July 1949 was one of the most devastating meteorological events in East China around the founding of the People's Republic of China. The severe urban waterlogging and casualties it caused became a painful point in Shanghai's history of typhoon disasters. Although Typhoon "Wanda" in 1956 made landfall in Xiangshan, Zhejiang, its massive strong wind circle completely covered Shanghai, causing a sharp rise in the water level of the Huangpu River and posing a huge test to flood control along the banks. Typhoon "Babe" in 1977 was one of the few typhoons in history to make direct landfall in Chongming, Shanghai. The continuous heavy rain and coastal gales it brought caused serious damage to agricultural facilities and sea dikes. These early disasters directly spurred the initial construction of early dike reinforcement, drainage system renovation, and meteorological monitoring networks in Shanghai, laying the foundation for subsequent urban safety.
Typical Cases in the 21st Century: New Characteristics of Wind and Rain Impact
Entering the 21st century, with the acceleration of urbanization, the impact of typhoons on Shanghai has presented new characteristics characterized by "equal emphasis on wind and rain, with prominent waterlogging." Although Typhoon "Haikui" in 2012 did not make landfall in Shanghai, its core circulation remained over Shanghai for a long time, triggering rare widespread torrential rain that caused severe water accumulation in some low-lying urban areas. It is a typical case of rain-induced disasters in the past decade. In contrast, Typhoon "Ampil" in 2018 holds special significance as one of the few typhoons to make direct landfall on the Shanghai coast (Jinshan) since the 21st century began. Although its intensity was not at the super typhoon level, as a direct landfall typhoon, it posed a more direct wind threat to the coastal frontline, testing Shanghai's emergency response capability against direct strikes. In addition, typhoons such as Typhoon "Lekima" in 2019, although mainly affecting Zhejiang, still brought significant wind and rain impacts to Shanghai through their outer spiral rainbands, reminding citizens not to let their guard down even if there is no direct landfall.
Scientific Prevention and Real-time Response
Facing the threat of typhoons, Shanghai has established a relatively complete warning and response mechanism. Citizens should pay attention to the blue, yellow, orange, and red four-color warning signals issued by meteorological departments and strictly implement the corresponding defense guidelines. During typhoons, please avoid going to dangerous areas such as seaside and riverside, check windows, doors, and balcony items at home to prevent objects from falling from heights. If extreme heavy rain causes road waterlogging, do not rashly wade through the water, and be careful to avoid electrical facilities. For specific measures regarding school suspensions, work stoppages, and traffic controls, please refer to the latest releases from local government and emergency management departments.
Typhoon paths are variable, and accurately grasping dynamics is the first step in disaster prevention. Real-time typhoon tracks, intensity forecasts, and wind and rain impact ranges can be queried at TaifengSays (taifengshuo.com).
This article is original educational content from TyphoonSays. Please refer to the latest official announcements from local governments for policy standards.