They seem to be popping up everywhere at once...
58 inches of rain in Taiwan and counting
58 inches of rain in Taiwan and counting
TAIPEI, Taiwan — A tropical storm inched across northern Taiwan on Thursday after dumping as much as five feet of rain that has flooded farmland, swollen rivers and paralyzed life on much of the densely populated island of 23 million people.
Saola weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm by late afternoon, but its slow movement and continuing heavy rains raised the prospect of devastating flooding in areas that have absorbed more than 58 inches of rain since Tuesday.
It has caused five deaths and left two people missing in Taiwan after killing 26 people in the Philippines.
During the day in the northeastern county of Ilan, rescuers used rubber boats and amphibious vehicles to help hundreds escape flooded homes.
Dozens of flights were canceled at Taipei’s main international airport, where heavy winds destroyed two jetways, and rail transport throughout the island was disrupted. All seven major reservoirs in Taiwan released large quantities of water to prevent flooding.
By nighttime, Saola was centered just off northern Taiwan, moving northwest toward China at 10 mph. It had sustained winds of 54 mph, gusting to 71 mph.
Offices and businesses were closed throughout northern Taiwan. In Taipei, normally busy streets were deserted except for cleanup crews clearing off fallen trees and branches. The Defense Ministry mobilized 48,000 soldiers to help mitigate the storm’s impact.
Television footage showed acre upon acre of flooded farmland in low-lying coastal areas, punctuated by scenes of raging rivers and roads blocked by mudslides in the island’s mountainous center.
The typhoon left at least 26 people dead in the Philippines and forced 180,000 to flee their homes. Coast guard and other disaster-response groups rescued 125 people from stricken sea vessels and flooded villages, according to Benito Ramos, who heads the government’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Saola was forecast to hit China’s east coast Friday morning south of Typhoon Damrey, which made landfall Thursday night in Jiangsu province. It had sustained wind of 75 mph and was moving northwest at 19 mph and was expected to weaken steadily.
2 tropical cyclones strike Chinese coast in quick succession
Hong Kong (CNN) -- Two tropical cyclones have made landfall in eastern China, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people from coastal areas as the Philippines and Taiwan assess the damage that one of the storms left in its wake.
Tropical Storm Saola plowed into the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian on Friday morning, after the torrential rain and strong wind it brought to parts of the Philippines and Taiwan had left more than 40 people dead.
Saola arrived hours after Typhoon Damrey had reached the Chinese coast farther north in Jiangsu Province. The last time two powerful storms struck China in such quick succession was in 2006, according to CNNI Meteorologist Jennifer Delgado.
In Fujian, the authorities relocated more than 300,000 people to "safe places" ahead of Saola's arrival, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported, citing the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.
The authorities warned of potential floods and mudslides resulting from the storm's heavy rain.
Taiwan residents wade in floodwaters in Wuche, in eastern Ilan County, as typhoon Saola approches the island's east coast on Thursday, August 2. The typhoon dropped as much as 1.5 feet of rain in parts of the Philippines before making landfall in Taiwan on Thursday.
A bus sits half submerged on a flooded road in New Taipei City.
A bus sits half submerged on a flooded road in New Taipei City.
People collect recyclable material from debris washed ashore in Manila on Wednesday, August 1, after heavy rain from Typhoon Saola.
People collect recyclable material from debris washed ashore in Manila on Wednesday, August 1, after heavy rain from Typhoon Saola.
People wade through a flooded street Wednesday in Navotas, a Manila suburb.
People wade through a flooded street Wednesday in Navotas, a Manila suburb.
High waves splash up Wednesday along Toxas Boulevard, the famous roadway that runs along Manila Bay.
High waves splash up Wednesday along Toxas Boulevard, the famous roadway that runs along Manila Bay.
A man braves high waves along Manila's Roxas Boulevard on Wednesday.
A man braves high waves along Manila's Roxas Boulevard on Wednesday.
Residents maneuver through a flooded street Wednesday in Navotas.
Residents maneuver through a flooded street Wednesday in Navotas.
Motorists make their way through Manila's flooded streets Wednesday.
Motorists make their way through Manila's flooded streets Wednesday.
Locals pick through debris from the typhoon along Manila's Roxas Boulevard.
Locals pick through debris from the typhoon along Manila's Roxas Boulevard.
Residents wade through a flooded street filled with trash in Navotas.
Residents wade through a flooded street filled with trash in Navotas.
CNN iReporter Peter Chiang captured this image of uprooted trees after Typhoon Saola swept through Taiwan's capital. "Trees are uprooted everywhere here. Apart from that, in Taipei City it's largely fine, but outside the city there's a lot of flooding," Chiang said.
CNN iReporter Peter Chiang captured this image of uprooted trees after Typhoon Saola swept through Taiwan's capital. "Trees are uprooted everywhere here. Apart from that, in Taipei City it's largely fine, but outside the city there's a lot of flooding," Chiang said.
Motorists drive through floodwaters along Manila's Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Wednesday.
Motorists drive through floodwaters along Manila's Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Wednesday.
People pick up recyclable materials among the trash washed ashore along's Manila's Roxas Boulevard.
People pick up recyclable materials among the trash washed ashore along's Manila's Roxas Boulevard.
Residents wade through a flooded street in Navotas in suburban Manila. Forty-four evacuation centers have been opened due to flooding.
Residents wade through a flooded street in Navotas in suburban Manila. Forty-four evacuation centers have been opened due to flooding.
A resident rides in a banca on a flooded street in Navotas.
A resident rides in a banca on a flooded street in Navotas.
A man cleans his house in Taiwan's eastern Yilan County as Typhoon Saola approaches the island's east coast Thursday.
A man cleans his house in Taiwan's eastern Yilan County as Typhoon Saola approaches the island's east coast Thursday.
People walk along the Shanghai Bund on Thursday as storm clouds gather over the Huangpu River. The typhoon was expected to strike south of Shanghai later Thursday.
People walk along the Shanghai Bund on Thursday as storm clouds gather over the Huangpu River. The typhoon was expected to strike south of Shanghai later Thursday.
Typhoon Saola batters the Philippines, Taiwan
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Photos: Typhoon Saola batters the Philippines, Taiwan
Sinkhole almost swallows car 
Man dies after falling in sinkhole
Typhoon Saola batters Taiwan
Saola's winds had weakened by the time it hit the Chinese coast. They had been at typhoon strength when the storm slammed into Taiwan on Thursday morning, reaching more than 140 kilometers per hour (87 mph) near its center.
When Saola moved away from Taiwan on Thursday night, it had killed five people, injured 15 and left two missing, according to Taiwan's Central Emergency Operations Center. More than 6,700 people had to be evacuated from affected areas, the center said.
One of the deaths was filmed by a closed-circuit camera in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Video from the camera showed a man disappearing down a sink hole after the rain-sodden ground collapsed beneath him.
Brace yourselves! Tropical Storm Ernesto is heading west from the Atlantic into the Caribbean... where it'll turn into a hurricane
- Storm swept north of Barbados this morning and heading to Caribbean
- Eye of the storm was 35 miles northwest of the island at 2am
- Various islands issues storm warnings to its residents
- Unlikely Ernesto will turn towards Florida as high pressure will force west
Forecasters said the eye of the storm was 35 miles northwest of the island at 2am and was now moving across the northern Windward Islands.
Island governments issued storm warnings for Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, St Lucia, Martinique and Guadalupe. Residents were told to expect storm conditions.
But it is unlikely Ernesto will turn towards Florida, as a strong ridge of high pressure should keep the system on a more westerly track.
Warning: Tropical Storm Ernesto swept north of Barbados this morning and is now heading quickly into the Caribbean Sea - where it is expected to become a hurricane
Windy: Forecasters said the eye of the storm was 35 miles northwest of Barbados (pictured) at 2am
This would put it just south of Jamaica by Monday, by which time it was expected to have gained hurricane strength.
It had top winds of 50mph today and will become a hurricane if those swirling winds reach 74mph.
Forecasters warned island residents to expect large waves and 5 to 8cm of rain, with nearly 13cm in isolated areas.
Flooded: Tropical Storm Debby left Florida under water in June
Damage: Gordon McClain, left, surveys his water-filled living room in Live Oak, Florida, after Tropical Storm Debby hit in June
It was too early to know whether Ernesto could disrupt oil and gas operations clustered in the Gulf.
August and September are usually the most active months of the Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.
David Zelinsky, a meteorologist at the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre, said the storm was a reminder for people to be prepared for the onslaught of bad weather.
He said: 'It's our first system coming out of the deep tropics this year.
'So maybe it's a good time for people to review their preparedness plans as we're getting into the part of the season where things normally begin to get a little more active.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2183118/Tropical-Storm-Ernesto-heading-west-Atlantic--soon-hurricane.html#ixzz22YbhttDI
By The Associated Press