HAIKOU: China’s southernmost province of Hainan is recovering from the effects of super typhoon Yagi, with workers repairing damaged facilities and pumping floodwater from streets as airports in Sanya and Haikou reopened. Yagi, the strongest autumn typhoon to hit China since 1949, hit Hainan on Friday, killing at least four and injuring 95. In recent days, government officials, firefighters, police and citizens have been working tirelessly to restore normalcy across the province. “More than 300 volunteers from party members were mobilized this morning to clear uprooted trees and deal with waterlogged streets,” Chen Hong, a cadre from Xiuying District in Haikou, the provincial capital, said on Saturday. Markets, taxis, trains and buses resumed operations in Haikou on Saturday night, with businesses, factories and construction sites allowed to reopen on Sunday. “We want to help everyone in need, and we haven’t raised prices even a cent,” said Zhou Chongsheng, a local shop owner. Despite these efforts, 769,000 homes in Hainan remained without power by Sunday night, and more than 10,000 repair workers from Guangdong, Guizhou and Guangxi were dispatched to help. Water shortages continue to affect Haikou’s 63,000 residents, with telecommunications services across the province expected to return to normal by Tuesday. Schools were also severely affected, with 2,085 schools without water or electricity across the province. Authorities want to reopen more than 80 percent of schools by Monday, while those that suffered more damage will delay reopening, said Chen Zhenhua, deputy head of the provincial education department. Efforts to remove debris and restore infrastructure continue. At Haikou Kindergarten, principal Ding Ying gathered teachers and local volunteers to clear fallen trees and prepare the playground for the children’s return. “We plan to make small benches out of tree stumps for the children,” said Ding. In the midst of this devastation, there has been some uplifting news: 247 healthy “typhoon babies” have been born in Haikou in the past week. Since September 3, Hainan has opened a special maternity care facility to ensure safe births, with nearly 900 pregnant women accessing free hospital stays in Haikou alone. “The local government has prepared thoroughly,” said Ye Baoquan, party secretary of Pulong Village in Wenchang City. “The shelters were stocked with emergency supplies such as rollaway beds, food, generators and life jackets. Rescue teams were on standby, which helped everyone feel safer.” The Hainan provincial government dispatched 18 senior officials to oversee the local emergency response, evacuating more than 460,000 residents and returning more than 34,000 fishing boats to port. In China, members of the Chinese Communist Party are often on the front lines of recovery efforts and lead by example with their active involvement, especially during crises such as natural disasters. In 2014, Super Typhoon Rammasun caused widespread damage in Hainan, but Yagi surpassed it in both intensity and length of impact, experts said. The agriculture, livestock and fishing industries suffered an estimated 11.95 billion yuan (about 1.68 billion US dollars) in losses from Super Typhoon Yagi. Seven rescue teams have been dispatched to the worst affected areas to provide guidance after the disaster in Hainan. Cao Shuyu, deputy director of Hainan’s Ministry of Finance, said about 1.19 billion yuan had been set aside for disaster relief and reconstruction. Fishermen have started cleaning their boats and evacuated residents are returning home. “We have made the necessary preparations to minimize our losses,” said Wang Youchun, a fisherman from Haikou. “Now we all work together to prepare for the next trip to the sea.”
