Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens - TYPHOON MUIFA

[Kyle]

This Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens is being issued to alert U.S.

citizens residing or traveling in East China that the Joint Typhoon

Warning Center (JTWC) has issued alerts for a typhoon system, designated

Typhoon Muifa, and predicts it will make landfall in eastern China north

of Shanghai.

 

As of midnight August 5th the system had wind speeds of nearly 104 mph,

with stronger gusts and was expected to strengthen over the following 48

hours as it moved over open water. The system is then expected to

weaken to tropical storm strength as it moves northward over the Yellow

Sea, the Bohai Sea and parts of northeastern China.

 

JTWC projects Typhoon Muifa will reach China's Eastern seaboard on

August 7. This storm may affect the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu

as well as the city of Shanghai. Residents may wish to stock up on

emergency supplies of food, water, and cash in case of storm-related

power outages.

 

Please monitor the typhoon's track by listening to the radio, watching

television, or monitoring weather websites. For further details, see

the Joint Typhoon Warning Center's Tropical Cyclone Warning (

http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC), the China Meteorological Association (

http://www.cma.gov.cn/en/) or the National Weather Service's Central

Pacific Hurricane Center, (http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc).

 

We also advise that you locate shelter, monitor media reports, and

follow all official instructions. Remember to carry your travel

documents at all times (i.e. U.S. Passport, Birth Certificate, picture

ID's, etc.) or secure them in a safe, waterproof location. Please tell

your family and friends in the United States of your whereabouts and

keep in close contact with your tour operator, hotel staff, and local

officials for evacuation instructions in the event of a weather

emergency.

 

Additional information on hurricanes and storm preparedness may be found

on the Department of State's "Hurricane/Typhoon Season" (

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_5514.html) and

"Natural Disasters" (

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1207.htm

l) webpages. Updated information on travel in China may be obtained

from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United

States and Canada, or from overseas, 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are

available from 8:00 am to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday

(except U.S. federal holidays).

 

We will continue to monitor Typhoon Maifu's track and will issue updated

messages as appropriate. Please monitor the Consulate's website at

http://shanghai.usconsulate.gov/service.html for any updated messages.

Please consult the Country Specific Information for China, available on

the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs website at

http://travel.state.gov.

 

We encourage all U.S. citizens abroad to enroll with the Department of

State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at www.travel.state.gov

or with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. By enrolling, you can

receive the nearest embassy or consulate's most recent security and

safety updates during your trip. Enrolling also ensures that we can

reach you, or your designated emergency points of contact, during an

emergency. While consular officers will do their utmost to assist you

in a crisis, please be aware that local authorities bear primary

responsibility for the welfare of people living or traveling in their

jurisdictions.

 

Consulate General Shanghai may close if the city of Shanghai declares

closures, however, for any emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please

contact the American Citizens Services Unit of the U.S. Consulate

General's Consular Section, located on the 8th Floor, Westgate Mall,

1038 West Nanjing Road, Shanghai; telephone (86-21) 3217-4560; after

hours emergency telephone (86) (21) 3217-4560, press "0" for after hours

operator; ACS unit fax (86) (21) 6217-2071; e-mail

ShanghaiACS@state.gov; webpage http://shanghai.usembassy-china.org.cn.

Consulate General Shanghai's consular district includes the municipality

of Shanghai and the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

 

The U.S. Embassy is located at No. 55 An Jia Lou Road, Chaoyang

District, Beijing 100600. For detailed information or to make an

appointment, please visit the U.S. Embassy website

http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/. You can reach the American

Citizen Services section via e-mail at Amcitbeijing@state.gov or call

(86) (10) 8531-4000 between 8:00 a.m. and noon and 1:00 and 5:00 p.m.

For after-hours U.S. citizen emergencies, please call (86) (10)

8531-4000. The Embassy consular district includes the municipalities of

Beijing and Tianjin and the provinces/autonomous regions of Gansu,

Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Ningxia, Qinghai,

Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, and Xinjiang.