China's tropical island Hainan recovering from super typhoon strike

China's southernmost province of Hainan is recovering from the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yagi, with workers fixing damaged facilities and draining streets of floodwaters as airports in Sanya and Haikou reopened.

Yagi, the strongest autumn typhoon to land in China since 1949, hit Hainan on Friday, leaving at least four dead and 95 injured.

In recent days, government officials, firefighters, police officers and citizens have been working tirelessly to restore normalcy across the province.

"More than 300 Party member volunteers were mobilized this morning to clear uprooted trees and address waterlogged streets," said Chen Hong, a cadre from Xiuying Subdistrict in Haikou, the provincial capital, on Saturday.

On Saturday evening, markets, taxis, ride-hailing services and buses began to resume operations in Haikou, with businesses, factories and construction sites given clearance to reopen on Sunday.

"We want to help everyone in need, and we haven't raised prices a single cent," said Zhou Chongsheng, a local shop owner.

Despite these efforts, 769,000 households in Hainan remained without power by Sunday night, and more than 10,000 workers from Guangdong, Guizhou, and Guangxi have been dispatched to assist. Water shortages continued to affect 63,000 residents in Haikou, with telecommunications services across the province expected to normalize by Tuesday.

Schools have also been severely affected, with 2,085 schools left without water or electricity across the province. Authorities aim to reopen over 80 percent of schools by Monday, while those sustaining heavier damage will delay reopening, said Chen Zhenhua, deputy head of the provincial education department.

Efforts to clear debris and restore infrastructure are ongoing. In a Haikou kindergarten, principal Ding Ying rallied teachers and local volunteers to clean up fallen trees and prepare the playground for the children's return.

"We plan to craft tree stumps into small benches for the children," Ding said.

Amid the devastation, some uplifting news emerged: 247 healthy "typhoon babies" were born in Haikou over the past week. Since September 3, Hainan has opened special maternity care facilities to ensure safe deliveries, with nearly 900 pregnant women given access to free hospital stays in Haikou alone.

"The local government made thorough preparations," said Ye Baoquan, Party secretary of Pulong Village in Wenchang City. "Shelters were stocked with emergency supplies like foldable beds, food, generators and life jackets. Rescue teams were on standby, which helped everyone feel more secure."

The Hainan provincial government dispatched 18 senior officials to supervise local emergency response efforts, evacuating over 460,000 residents and returning more than 34,000 fishing boats to port.

In China, members of the Communist Party of China are often on the front lines of recovery efforts, leading by example with their active involvement, particularly during crises like natural disasters.

In 2014, Super Typhoon Rammasun caused widespread damage in Hainan, but Yagi has surpassed it in both intensity and duration of impact, experts said.

The agricultural, livestock and fishing industries suffered an estimated 11.95 billion yuan (about $1.68 billion) in losses following Super Typhoon Yagi. Seven recovery teams have been sent to the hardest-hit areas to provide post-disaster guidance in Hainan.

Cao Shuyu, deputy director of the Department of Finance of Hainan Province, said that around 1.19 billion yuan has been earmarked for disaster relief and reconstruction.

Fishermen have begun cleaning their boats, and evacuated residents are returning home.

"We made the necessary preparations, which minimized our losses," said Wang Youchun, a fisherman from Haikou. "Now, we're all working together to prepare for the next trip out to sea."

(Cover: Volunteers and People's Liberation Army soldiers remove a toppled tree, Haikou City, south China's Hainan Province, September 7, 2024. /CFP)