Xiamen, China (CNN) Typhoon Meranti struck China after pounding Taiwan, making landfall early on Thursday near Xiamen in Fujian Province.

Morning light revealed empty streets covered in broken glass, from shattered windows on surrounding office buildings.

"I have never seen anything so scary in my entire life," 72-year-old Ma Wenhua, who lives and works in Xiamen, told CNN. "We had to put so many buckets out to catch all the leaks."

Despite the winds lessening after landfall, they were strong enough to knock down trees, break windows and push a large inflated moon down the city's streets. The moon had been part of a display to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Loose moon balloon rolls around Fuzhou, China, as Super Typhoon Meranti barrels through https://t.co/HCybtJw4vh pic.twitter.com/ASFWkzF9Pf

An 800-year-old Song dynasty wooden bridge was washed away in Yongchun county in Fujian, the local tourism bureau reported.

"The whole city is heartbroken! The bridge had withstood a long and stormy history but had no luck with Meranti," a statement said.

The typhoon destroyed an 800-year-old bridge.

The powerful storm first raked southern Taiwan, bringing torrential rains and winds of up to 230 mph (370 kilometers per hour) -- faster than a Formula One race car.

One person died and 44 people were injured as the typhoon surged over the island, according to a Taiwan Red Cross spokeswoman.

"Typhoon Merandi is away from the Taiwan main island, but still our staff and volunteers are in the mobilization preparation," she said.

More than 900,000 households had lost power, the spokeswoman confirmed, while another 500,000 had issues with water supply. Hundreds of thousands were also waiting for repairs, she said.

Meranti is the strongest typhoon since Super Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines in 2013.

Photos: Super Typhoon Meranti slams Taiwan A truck is overturned in southern Pingtung county, Taiwan on September 14, 2016. The island is bracing for the impact of Super Typhoon Meranti. Hide Caption 1 of 9 Photos: Super Typhoon Meranti slams Taiwan A local resident removes a rock from a blocked road in Pingtung county in southern Taiwan. Hide Caption 2 of 9 Photos: Super Typhoon Meranti slams Taiwan Waves crash into a beach in Taitung county, in southern Taiwan. Hide Caption 3 of 9 Photos: Super Typhoon Meranti slams Taiwan Huge waves wash over a ship in a fishing port in Taitung county, Taiwan. Hide Caption 4 of 9 Photos: Super Typhoon Meranti slams Taiwan Storm damage is seen near Fugang fishing port in southern Taiwan. Hide Caption 5 of 9 Photos: Super Typhoon Meranti slams Taiwan Recovery workers survey storm damage near Fugang in southern Taiwan. Hide Caption 6 of 9 Photos: Super Typhoon Meranti slams Taiwan Storm damage seen in Fugang, southern Taiwan. Hide Caption 7 of 9 Photos: Super Typhoon Meranti slams Taiwan Roads blocked by fallen branches amid heavy winds and lashing rain in southern Taiwan. Hide Caption 8 of 9 Photos: Super Typhoon Meranti slams Taiwan Rough waters seen from the Chung Hwa bridge in Taiwan's Taitung county. Hide Caption 9 of 9

Heavy rains, wind to continue in China

When it made landfall over mainland China, the storm's maximum sustained winds were 145 mph (230 kph) with gusts of up to 175 mph (280 kph).

"The storm was most intense from 1 a.m. til 3.30 a.m. where our hotel was swaying significantly back and forth. Water was streaming into our rooms," CNN correspondent Matt Rivers said from Xiamen.

It is a holiday in China and many people were home or traveling to see family. Winds were still blowing harshly in Xiamen and other coastal cities.

Turn up the sound..Doors straining against #TyphoonMeranti in our hotel, landed near Xiamen as equiv. Cat4 hurricane pic.twitter.com/zBNsGx7tnm — Matt Rivers (@MattRiversCNN) September 14, 2016

"There's only been one other tropical system in modern history that was able to get to a strength of over 110 mph (180kph) and sustain that for over 24 hours," CNN meteorologist Tom Sater said.

By the time the typhoon reached China, however, it had already slowed significantly due to its interaction with Taiwan, Sater said.

"It's those outer bands that interact with (Taiwan's) high terrain -- the outer bands are like the exhaust system of a car, if the eye is the engine ... it just rips apart the exhaust system and it starts to choke. It did a good thing for China," he said.

Meranti's strength had prompted China to issue its highest warning for high ocean waves as emergency crews and officials prepared for the deluge.

Despite Typhoon Meranti weakening quickly as it continues to move inland, heavy rainfall and flash flooding, as well as dangerous winds, will continue for the next 48 hours.

Mudslides will be possible in eastern China.

1st look at #TyphoonMeranti damage in daylight in #Xiamen, #China: many windows of these 2 office towers blown out. pic.twitter.com/1P5mNaLOYX — Steven Jiang (@StevenCNN) September 14, 2016

Taiwan's long history with typhoons

JUST WATCHED The strongest storm of the year is hitting China Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH The strongest storm of the year is hitting China 02:38

Despite being a frequent target for powerful Pacific typhoons, Taiwan has a track record of limiting their deadly impact. But storms often turn deadlier as they move toward China.

The flatter terrain -- prone to storm surges and inland flooding -- and higher population density often result in a great number of deaths or displacement of people.

In July, Super Typhoon Nepartak hit in almost the same location as where Meranti traveled. Nepartak caused at least three deaths in Taiwan and cut power to more than 500,000 but became much deadlier as it moved to the mainland.

Despite weakening to a tropical storm, Nepartak and its associated heavy rainfall of up to 10 inches killed more than 80 people.