Eastern China Braces Against Typhoon

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SHANGHAI, China - Typhoon Matsa slammed into the coast southeast of China's biggest city on Saturday, killing at least one person and knocking down street signs and buildings.Authorities evacuated more than 1 million people.

Residents of Shanghai, a city of more than 20 million and China's busiest port, were warned to stay home Saturday and to take precautions to prevent injuries from blowing debris. Both of the city's airports were closed.

A dormitory at a construction site collapsed under strong winds, killing one man, state television reported.

After dumping torrential rains on Taiwan, the storm hit land near the city of Yuhuan in Zhejiang province and was about 180 miles south of Shanghai by early Saturday. The storm, which was losing force, was forecast to travel to the west of the city.

Shanghai reported only minor damage, with a few street and building signs knocked down and one downtown road tunnel flooded.

Some 1.24 million residents were moved to safety in Zhejiang, where 164 people were killed last year when Typhoon Rananim churned through, the state-run newspaper China Daily said. That storm was said to be the most powerful to strike China since 1956.

Matsa's winds were clocked early Saturday at 75 mph.

Supermarkets in Hangzhou were crammed with people stocking up on candles, flashlights and bottled water, the China Daily said.

"It is always better to prepare for the worst," Tang Xin, a retired worker, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

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