Ningbo, one of China's busiest ports, was partially shut down due to the typhoon. PRC officials declared that the system was the strongest that year to date to impact the nation, as it passed Taiwan maintaining typhoon strength. As a result, PRC officials temporarily closed several oil, dry-bulk and container ports. Millions of people living along the coast were ordered to stay indoors, and several hundred flights were cancelled as the typhoon was expected to be the worst to affect China's commercial centre since 2005. Landfall was initially expected over Zhejiang Province on Saturday, 6 August. The storm was expected to bring rainfall to more than ten provinces, over an area of one million square kilometers. On 6 August, as the typhoon approached, over 200,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas; however, although 140 more flights were cancelled the typhoon was no longer expected to directly impact the nation. The meteorological agency announced that heavy rain and strong winds would affect the nation for three days, beginning on 7 August. Some 11,000 rescue workers in 120 teams were mobilized to respond to the storm and protect as many people as possible. The National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center issued a red alert (the highest alert in the four-level high-wave warning system) as the system swept across the East China Sea at typhoon strength. Waves as high as 9–11 meters were expected throughout the East China Sea. Shanghai railway authorities established an emergency response plan: if Muifa's winds were less than 62 km/h in Shanghai, the subway would be manually operated at low speed. If winds were greater than 89 km/h, the trains would be cancelled. Both airports in Shanghai were closed, and all outdoor events were also cancelled or postponed. As the system neared land, the Shanghai government urged residents to stay indoors with first-aid kits and emergency supplies. A message from the federal government of the United States to Americans living in China advised them to "stock up on emergency supplies of food, water, and cash in case of storm-related power outages". As the system brushed Shanghai, residents of Qingdao began their preparations for the storm. Although weaker, the system's heavy surf battered Qingdao's waterfront and the beaches were closed. As reported on 9 August, some 1.35 million people were evacuated as the system approached its final landfall in northern China. Impact Philippines Although the storm did not directly impact