Zhuhai rebounds from typhoons' one-two punch

A second round of rainstorms and fierce winds smacked the city on Sunday Aug 27, closing companies, government agencies, schools and public places, bridges, and bus and ferry operations, and canceling some flights at Zhuhai Airport.

In Xiangzhou District, Renmin, Bailian, and several other roads and Jiuzhou Avenue Underground Passage were flooded due to drains blocked and clogged by fallen tree branches and earth.

Pakhar, the 14th typhoon of the year, landed around 9 am in the city of Taishan, which is located behind the island of Hainan some 80 km west of Zhuhai. The storm brought gales of up to 33 m per second. Pakhar hit the province right after Typhoon Hato, which crashed directly into Jinwan, Zhuhai on Wednesday.

Hato was the strongest typhoon in more than 53 years to hit Zhuhai.

Cleanup and rebuilding continue with the help of emergency services and relief from out-of-town areas in the Pearl River Delta. Meanwhile, disinfection was conducted all over Xiangzhou District to avoid secondary disaster and ensure environmental sanitation, according to a government official.

Xiangzhou is northeast of Jinwan, which sustained gales of 45 m per second in the eye of the typhoon at 12:50 am on Aug 23. 

Volunteers of all ages

During the storm, heads of towns and sub-districts lead aid agencies to areas in need and guided rescue works before they could give specific orders to re-accommodate those most affected. They also released relief materials and deployed risk-taking repairs. The process involved 5,287 government officials and 2,386 volunteers.

Post-typhoon relief work reportedly is well-organized. Rushing to trouble spots were 3,658 rescuers, urban management officers, and sanitation workers. They cleared fallen trees, branches, signage and other obstacles, using 320 vehicles. Sixteen roads have been attended to so far.

Drainage facilities were restored in short time, with flooded rainwater wells pumped out and warning signs installed. Hard-hit Gongbei Port used 200 sandbags piled in case of sea water encroachment from behind Lovers Avenue. Floodwater has been drained away.

Emergency workers have been praised for their tireless efforts in ensuring property and public safety, and helping people get their lives back to normal.

Material supplies released

Fallen glass and broken windows were removed as soon as possible to prevent secondary incidents. Appropriate departments have ensured plentiful materials, supplies, and access to water and power at shelters. With coordinated efforts, water and power failures in residential buildings were all taken care of.

Meanwhile, a volunteer team was set up in response to a proposal released by Xiangzhou District officials for people to rebuild their hometowns. So far, they are based in nine towns and sub-districts, and helping property management companies and residents to clean up any mess and get traffic moving again.

Despite the strongest winds and rainstorms since its establishment, Jinwan moved swiftly to restore infrastructure soon after the typhoon arrived, including cleanups, medical rescues, epidemic prevention, and aquaculture drainage. All major roads have been reopened.

Debris swept away [Photos courtesy Zhuhai Daily]