Typhoon Champi swept past the northeast coast of Taiwan early Saturday, leaving one person dead and injuring more than 500 others as high winds and torrential rain battered the island before the storm moved north toward China.
Taiwan's fire department confirmed that a man was killed after being swept away by waves off the island of Liuqiu. An additional 527 people sustained injuries during the severe weather conditions brought by the storm.
The system, which was previously classified as a super typhoon and ranked as one of the strongest Pacific storms this year, has started to weaken. According to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA), Champi was located roughly 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of Taiwan on Saturday, carrying central wind gusts of about 126 kilometers per hour (78 miles per hour). Forecast tracks show the storm turning north toward the Chinese coast before eventually moving into southern Japan.
The tempest caused widespread disruptions across northern and central parts of the island. Power provider Taipower reported that more than 167,000 homes suffered power outages, though electricity has since been restored to most affected households. Authorities in Taipei and large areas of northern and central Taiwan declared a second day of school and office closures on Saturday, while airlines were forced to cancel additional flights.
Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, which keeps casualties low. Although more common in summer, the storms can strike also in autumn.
