Devastating photos show the damage of Typhoon Lekima, which left at least 44 people dead and forced 1 million to evacuate in China

Aly Song/Reuters

• Typhoon Lekima made landfall in China on August 10, resulting in widespread blackouts and some damaged property.
• Ahead of the Lekima's arrival, 1 million people were evacuated from their homes and hundreds of flights were canceled across major airports in China. 
• The typhoon also triggered landslides and flooding across several provinces as it moved up China's east coast over the weekend. As of Sunday evening, more than 6.5 million people were impacted by the storm, according to state media. 
• As of Monday, the storm had left at least 44 people dead and 16 others missing.
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China was struck by the third-largest typhoon in its history on the morning of August 10.

Typhoon Lekima triggered widespread blackouts, flight cancellations, and evacuations across major cities. Landslides and collapsed buildings in China's east Zhejiang province on Sunday, as well as additional destruction in Shandong province on Monday, left at least 44 people dead and 16 others missing, Reuters said, citing official data. 

The storm on Sunday battered the coast south of Shanghai, the nation's financial capital, which is home to more than 20 million people. The strongest typhoon of the year then headed further north along the east coast and brought torrential rains and heavy winds to the Shandong Province, state media said. 

As of Monday, the storm had caused an estimated $2.55 billion in damages, Reuters said. 

Take a look at the devastation thus far.

Typhoon Lekima started out as a tropical depression on August 2, then quickly picked up speed as it headed northwest.

Wikimedia Commons/NASA/NOAA

The tropical depression (essentially a group of thunderstorms) originated in the Philippine Sea. Five days later, on August 7, it morphed into a super typhoon, with a wind speed of at least 150 miles per hour.

Before making its way to China, the storm passed through the Philippines, where it caused flooding in more than 400 areas.

Aaron Favila/AP Photo

The Red Cross estimated that more than 17,000 households in the Philippines were affected by the disaster.

The storm prompted the cancellation of hundreds of flights across major airports in China.

Tang Yanjun/CNS/Reuters

China uses a color-coded system to inform citizens about weather conditions. Before the storm made landfall, China's weather bureau issued a "red alert" — the most severe type of warning.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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