Waves from approaching Typhoon Morakot hit a dike in Cangnan County, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 8, 2009. [Wang Dingchang/Xinhua]

People there are also reinforcing reservoirs with bricks and stones. Water in the city's 20 major reservoirs is only at 54 percent of their combined capacity, so officials with the flood control office said they think the rainfall will help with drought relief, as long as proper measures are taken to ensure safety.

Residents are also busy reinforcing their own houses.

Chen Kongsheng, a 61-year-old man, has attached four large rocks to the girders of his house, so that the typhoon "won't tear off his roof".

About 118,000 people in the city have been evacuated, said Chen Rongkai, Communist Party chief of the city.

Ningde has readied 103 rescue boats, 15 rafts and 8,300 life jackets to help people affected by the typhoon.

In adjacent Zhejiang Province, rainfall exceeded 50 millimeters on 6.8 percent of the province's land on Friday night. The highest reading was 110 millimeters in Cangnan county bordering Fujian.

Nearly 300,000 residents and tourists in danger areas were evacuated, and the province has told nearly 30,000 ships to return to harbor.

More than 50,000 soldiers were prepared for emergencies in Zhejiang, said the local government.

Shanghai was put on high alert and the World Expo venue is being protected around the clock.

East China's Shandong province has also warned local governments to take measures beforehand to reduce losses from extreme weather.

Morakot, which means "emerald" in Thai, is the eighth storm to hit China this year. It landed in Hualien of Taiwan at 11:45 p.m. Friday, and left at least six people dead or missing. A further 12 were injured. Morakot also overturned cars and cut power supplies.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2009)