Typhoon Yagi ravages through Hainan island

Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers clearing fallen trees on Meiyuan Road on Saturday morning in Haikou, Hainan province. (Photo by HUANG YIMING/For chinadaily.com.cn)

Super Typhoon Yagi has ravaged South China's Hainan province, leading to four fatalities and 95 injuries. It has affected more than 526,100 individuals in 19 cities and counties. The economic impact has surpassed the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Rammasun a decade ago, reported by Fan Shaoli, director of the department of emergency management of Hainan province, during a press briefing on the emergency response to Super Typhoon Yagi on Saturday evening.

The total damage to infrastructure in Hainan province is estimated at 728 million yuan. This includes 458 million yuan in losses from 26 national and provincial roads, as well as 103 other roads, amounting to over 400 kilometers in total. Water transport facilities, including passenger terminals and equipment, have suffered around 100 million yuan in damage. Road transport losses are estimated at around 27 million yuan. Civil aviation infrastructure has incurred 112 million yuan in loss with the Haikou Meilan International Airport being significantly impacted, with ongoing projects in the airport facing loss of about 31 million yuan.

In response to the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yagi, rapid emergency measures have been put into action. A total of 312,600 people have been relocated, with 76,000 individuals urgently resettled and a cumulative total of 140,700 individuals moved to safety, as of 5 pm on Saturday.

In Wenchang city, where the typhoon made landfall, the economic impact of Wenchang is projected to exceed 32.7 billion yuan ($4.6 billion). More than 25,000 houses have been damaged by the impact of Super Typhoon Yagi. Nearly one-third of the roads in the city are blocked by fallen trees, causing significant transportation disruptions. Additionally, 139 10KV power lines have been disrupted, accounting for about 65 percent of the total power lines in the area, Fan said.

Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers clearing fallen trees on Meiyuan Road on Saturday morning in Haikou, Hainan province. [Photo by HUANG YIMING/For chinadaily.com.cn]

The impact of Super Typhoon Yagi has resulted in damage to 792 communication base stations in Wenchang, leading to an 82.3 percent power outage rate in the affected areas. Out of the 11 water plants in the region, eight have been forced to cease operations due to power shortages.

The typhoon has also taken a heavy toll on agriculture and forestry in Wenchang, with 270,000 acres of crops affected by the disaster. Of this total, 160,000 acres have been completely destroyed, leading to significant losses for farmers and agricultural communities. Furthermore, forest land damage is estimated at 48,100 hectares, representing 46 percent of the total forested area in the region.

Despite the significant threat posed by the typhoon to the facilities and equipment at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang, the situation is being managed, and post-disaster recovery efforts are advancing smoothly, said Wei Bo, vice mayor of Wenchang.

Haikou was also severely impacted the typhoon, resulting in direct economic losses estimated approximately 26.324 billion yuan. As of 5 pm on Friday, the typhoon has affected 1.2681 million people, leading to the urgent relocation of 105,500 individuals and leaving 209,800 in need of assistance, said Mayor Ding Hui. One fatality was confirmed, along with 401 collapsed houses and 32,424 damaged houses. The storm also caused over 167,800 trees to fall and affected 56,742 hectares of crops. The city is now grappling with significant challenges in the aftermath of the typhoon, with recovery efforts and support for the affected population becoming a top priority, said Ding.