Growing Threat of Tropical Cyclone Disasters in Inland Areas of East China

Abstract Tropical cyclones (TCs) pose a substantial threat to human life and property, with China being among the most affected countries. In this study, a significant increasing trend is detected for TC destructiveness, primarily measured by precipitation, and for TC‐induced damage, measured by direct economic losses (DELs), in the inland areas of East China. In contrast, a similar trend cannot be observed in the coastal regions. The rapid increase of TC‐induced damage in the inland areas of East China is directly related to an increase of the annual number of disastrous TCs, which is a result of the increased TC landfall frequency and the increased TC decay timescale after landfall. The increase in specific humidity, soil moisture, and the decrease in vertical wind shear in East China favor the survival of TCs inland. Our results highlight the significance of TC disaster prevention in the inland regions.