As Typhoon Kompasu landed in western Korea at Inchon late Wednesday, TropicalStorm Lionrock spun ashore between Xiamen and Shantou, China.At the time of Kompasu's landfall late on Wednesday afternoon, EDT, the JointTyphoon Warning Center estimated its highest sustained winds to be near 75 mph,or that of a minimal hurricane.
The center of Kompasu narrowly missed Seoul, where the airport clocked highestwind gusts between 60 and 65 mph. Gusts near 55 mph buffeted Inchon.
News reports stated Thursday that Kompasu caused three deaths in South Korea,all of them in the west, which bore the brunt of the storm's high winds.
Downed power lines and toppled trees, along with minor structural damage, werereportedly common.
In North Korea, the storm's heaviest rain fell. Amounts of 4 to 6 inches spreadover a wide area, with Wonson, on the eastern shore, getting more than 8 inchesof rain.
As of Thursday, the much-weakened Kompasu was headed toward the east for arelatively uneventful crossing of northern Japan.
Also on Thursday, meanwhile, Lionrock dissipated inland over southern Chinafollowing Wednesday's landfall as a tropical storm near Zhangpo, southernFujian.
Torrential rainfall of as much as 8 inches fell along the direct path ofLionrock.
Authorities shifted out of harm's way more than 160,000 people and some 50,000fishing boats rode out the storm in port, according to Xinhua.
No storm-related deaths were reported.
By Jim Andrews, Senior Meteorologist
