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Thursday, September 7, 2017

The Aftermath of Typhoon Hato in Macau: A Major Cleanup Effort Three Days After the Storm

Closed shops on Rua da Pedra in Macau
Closed shops on Rua da Pedra in Macau


Typhoon Hato not only caused significant damage in Zhuhai but in neighboring Macau as well. Three days after the storm hit I crossed the land border which separates the cities to spend some time in Macau. I had just learned electricity had finally been restored to most of Macau, and I assumed enough debris would have been removed that walking through the dense city would not be problematic. Given the relatively limited amount of time I spent in Macau, I won't be doing as extensive of an overview of the the typhoon's impact there. Instead, I will simply share some of what I saw that afternoon and evening in the city, which admittedly was much more than I had expected.

After I passed through Portas do Cerco, the immigration checkpoint on the Macau side of the border, I saw one of a few downed trees still around at the pedestrian street on Istmo de Ferreira do Amaral.

Cleanup from Typhoon Hato


But later I was relieved to see that the large trees at the Chuk Lam Temple (竹林寺) all remained standing.



Like several groceries stores I saw, the several 7-Elevens, common in Macau, I stopped by all had mostly empty shelves where items such as milk and and fresh juice were usually kept cool.



But at a street wet market in the Three Lamps District, along with vegetables and other foods, I saw the usually full selection of roasted meats.



One of the more notable impacts of the storm could be seen on Avenida do Almirante Lacerda Santo Antonio where, unlike the any of the areas I had seen in Gongbei, Zhuhai, many stores and other businesses still remained closed.



The Lok Kei Cafe, part of what had brought me to the street, was fortunately open, and I enjoyed an appropriate local-style afternoon snack there: a pork chop bun.



While there I learned they had just reopened that day and the water had reached the countertops during the storm. Not only did that explain the many stores at the street level which remained closed, but it also made me think of a nearby below-ground grocery I had been to last year. The story of the flooding also likely helped explain the booming business at one place I later passed not far away: a repair shop for electric vehicles.





What stood out most that day, though, was the large number of volunteers, police, sanitation crews, and other people participating in a massive cleanup effort due to damage from the extensive flooding. The immense amount of disposed items was striking as well. The following series of photos which conclude this post were taken from the late afternoon until evening on the western side of the Macau Peninsula. The photos are presented generally in the order they were taken, most with street names in Portuguese — one of Macau's official languages due to its past as a Portuguese colony. In addition to the extensive cleanup efforts, not all of which meant disposing damaged items, the set also includes two photos from a tourist area. Walking a few steps from some of the other scenes and reaching an area where all appeared mostly normal, except perhaps for smaller than usual crowds on a Saturday night, seemed surreal. The amount and type of items being disposed nearby seemed surreal as well.

Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Rua de João de Araújo
Rua de João de Araújo


classical Chinese style furniture on Rua da Palmeira
Rua da Palmeira


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Travessa dos Calafates
Travessa dos Calafates


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato using heavy machinery at Rua da Ribeira do Patane
Rua da Ribeira do Patane


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Rua dos Faitioes
Rua dos Faitioes


repair work at a supermarket on Rua de Cinco de Outubro
Rua de Cinco de Outubro



Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Rua de Cinco de Outubro
Rua de Cinco de Outubro


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Rua do Infante
Rua do Infante


piles of trash at Largo do Pagode do Bazar
Largo do Pagode do Bazar


broken Chinese vase in a trash bin
In front of the Hong Kung Temple


Refrigerated drink display disposed at Largo do Pagode do Bazar
Largo do Pagode do Bazar

Cleaning up at the O-Moon gift shop on Rua de Cinco de Outubro
The O-Moon gift shop on Rua de Cinco de Outubro


Hong Kung Temple
Hong Kung Temple


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Rua de Cinco de Outubro
Rua de Cinco de Outubro


small broken sculpture standing on Rua das Estalagens
Rua das Estalagens


Police moving debris on Rua das Estalagens
Rua das Estalagens


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Rua das Estalagens
Rua das Estalagens


disposed plates on Rua das Estalagens
Rua das Estalagens


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo
Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo


porcelain shop on Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo
Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo
Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Rua da Tercena
Rua da Tercena


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato on Rua da Tercena
Rua da Tercena


Crazy Barista on Rua da Tercena
The now permanently closed Crazy Barista on Rua da Tercena


Pile of trash on Rua da Tercena
On Rua da Tercena


Rua de São Paulo in the evening
Rua de São Paulo


Ruins of St. Paul's in Macau in the early evening
Ruins of St. Paul's


Reporter at Rua de Cinco de Outubro
Rua de Cinco de Outubro


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato at night on Rua de Cinco de Outubro
Rua de Cinco de Outubro


Cleanup from Typhoon Hato at night on Rua das Estalagens
Rua das Estalagens

Monday, September 4, 2017

The Aftermath of Typhoon Hato in Zhuhai: The Recovery

Even now, over a week and half after Typhoon Hato hit Zhuhai, fallen trees and other signs of the destruction left by the storm aren't hard to spot. Previous posts of scenes from the Lianhua Road Pedestrian Street, near the waterfront, the Bay Bar Street, Baishi Road, the Midtown complex, and elsewhere in the Gongbei subdistrict covered the day of the storm and the next day as well. To conclude this series of posts about some of the storm's impact, below are just a few scenes of the later cleanup, repair, and return to everyday life in Gongbei, mostly focused on places featured in the previous posts.

Two days after the storm, much debris remained on the Lianhua Road Pedestrian Street.

cleanup on the Lianhua Road Pedestrian Street after Typhoon Hato


Crews were using heavy machinery.

removing debris from trees after Typhoon Hato



Sometimes, construction equipment was repurposed to suit the task at hand.

removing debris on the Lianhua Road Pedestrian street after Typhoon Hato


Some of the large pieces of wood raised a question. What would be done with it all?

some of the remain wood from fallen trees


The night life at the Bay Bar Street, which had been severely affected, was returning at some places.

Muse club at night on Shuiwan Road in Zhuhai


Also that night, on the non-pedestrian portion of Lianhua Road night street food vendors were back in action.

street food vendors at night on Lianhua Road in Zhuhai


Six days after the storm, although the Bay Bar Street had been mostly cleared of debris, the long lasting damage to the trees that had once provided a thick full covering for the street was readily apparent.

damaged trees on Shuiwan Road after Typhoon Hato in Zhuhai


But some things still survived intact.

statues of two men playing saxophone on the Bay Bar Street in Zhuhai


Also, the popular walkway along Qinglu Road was clear, but damage remained.

Damage at the Qinglu Road waterside walkway after Typhoon Hato in Zhuhai


Eight days after the storm Baishi Road no longer had a large fallen tree creating a tunnel over it, but there was still work to be done.

large fallen tree in Zhuhai


At the Midtown shopping complex, a smaller tree was now in its more usual orientation.

supported tree at the Midtown in Zhuhai


Throughout the city, piles of debris from trees still covered bikes lanes or sidewalks. Also visible were the many shiny and apparently new chainsaws in use.

man using a chainsaw to cut fallen tree limbs


Sometimes the debris included unusual objets, including an astronaut I may have seen before.

disposed statue of an astronaut on the ground


Finally, many storefront signs had been destroyed by the storm. Some were under repair as Zhuhai moved on.

young men repairing a storefront sign with the words "To create the future"

Saturday, September 2, 2017

The Aftermath of Typhoon Hato in Zhuhai: More From Gongbei

This post is an assortment of photos taken on the same day after Typhoon Hato hit Zhuhai to add to those from the Lianhua Road Pedestrian Street, near the waterfront, the Bay Bar Street, Baishi Road, and the Midtown complex. Like the other photos, they are all from the Gongbei subdistrict in Zhuhai. Two later posts will cover the later cleanup efforts in some of the areas covered so far and also in neighboring Macau.

large object which had fallen to the ground
This doesn't belong there

people walking on Yingbin South Road in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato
Usually busy with vehicles, Yingbin South Road had many people walking on it



people walking on Yingbin South Road in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato



people walking on Yingbin South Road in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato



people walking on Yingbin South Road in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato



debris on sidewalks along Yingbin South Road in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato
The main reason for people walking on Yingbin South Road: obstructed sidewalks



debris on sidewalks along Yingbin South Road in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato



debris on sidewalks along Yingbin South Road in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato



Polo Villae in Zhuhai
Nonetheless, a few shops were open early on alongside Yingbin South Road



people sitting next to typhoon debris in front of a KFC in Zhuhai
This KFC was closed for the day.



tipped over large Coca-Cola bottle
A large Coca-Cola bottle did not fare well.



large Sprite bottle display
But a large Sprite bottle remained standing



sign destroyed by Typhoon Hato
Many signs were destroyed, and shattered glass was easy to find.



broken sign
Part of this metal sheet flapped in the wind. Many similar metal sheets had fallen to the ground.



tree blocking Yuehua Road in Zhuhai
Tree blocking Yuehua Road



Gongbei Port closed due to Typhoon Hato
Gongbei Port — the entry-exit point at the land-border between Macau and mainland China — was closed until later in the afternoon.



People waiting for Gongbei Port to open after Typhoon Hato hit Zhuhai



Zhuhai Railway Station closed due to Typhoon Hato
The neighboring Zhuhai Railway Station was also closed.



broken glass on the ground
Some of the damage near the railway station



destroyed air conditioner



two men dragging debris from trees



broken tree limb stuck in another tree
Broken tree limb stuck on another tree next to Qiaoguang Road



man pulling cart
Pedestrians on Yuehai East Road



People on Lian'an Road in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato
Finally, some scenes from Lian'an Road



tree which feel on a parked vehicle



People and vehicles on Lian'an Road in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato

Friday, September 1, 2017

The Aftermath of Typhoon Hato in Zhuhai: The Midtown Complex

According to a Zhuhai city website, the Midtown in the Gongbei subdistrict is:
Zhuhai’s first urban complex, covers a total floor area of 270,000 sq m, including the Fashion streets of 70,000 sq m, Novotel (Pullman) Hotel, a twin-tower Grade-A office building, and exquisite apartments. It integrates tourism, relaxation, shopping, catering, entertainment and business.
Just up the road from where I saw an& example of the remarkable damage from Typhoon Hato, despite its recent construction it too didn't survive the storm unscathed. Upon arriving there one day after the typhoon, I quickly noticed one of the piles of broken glass scattered around the complex.

broken glass at the Midtown in Zhuhai


A few steps back . . .

Midtown in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato


. . . and a few steps closer . . .

towers with missing windows at the Midtown urban complex in Zhuhai


. . . revealed a possible source of the glass: windows from the two office towers. One person who spoke with me claimed the windows were blown off due to having been left open. Whatever the reason, a pockmarked surface is a terrible selling point for a relatively new and supposedly modern building still seeking tenants. More importantly, falling windows are obviously a major safety concern.

Nearby, the wooden structure for one of the two covered walkways succumbed to the storm.

covered walkway destroyed by Typhoon Hato at the Midtown in Zhuhai


The other one fared much better.

covered walkway at the Midtown in Zhuhai


At another entrance to the complex, an area previously closed off appeared to have suffered much damage as well.

damage from Typhoon Hato at the Midtown in Zhuhai


In the main commercial area, most of the obvious damage was to storefront signs.

partially destroyed "River Tooth" sign in Zhuhai


Finally, as elsewhere, not all of the trees made it through the storm unscathed.

small crane lifting a fallen tree at the Midtown in Zhuhai


Mostly, the Midtown appeared to have done OK after being hit by a category 3 storm, but those windows . . .