"Eastern Hawaii" - this is how they say about Hainan, an island with an ever-warm South China Sea, a gentle climate and unique nature. This province, perfectly adapted for recreation, was not in vain chosen by Russian tourists. The ratio of service, prices and comfort here is very pleasant. Coming to the Chinese island now, it is hard to imagine that a powerful typhoon ruled here in 2016. Hainan did not suffer much destruction. It was possible to reduce them as much as possible thanks to the measures taken by public services.
Forecast of elements
On October 16, local weather forecasters announced that Typhoon Sarika would be the strongest of the season. The typhoon that hit the Philippines over the weekend was expected to hit Vietnam the next day, and northern Chinese provinces were also expected to be affected. Provincial meteorological bureau chief Cai Qinbo said losses from the cyclone are expected to be severe as the typhoon is predicted to be the strongest and most destructive to hit the island in a decade.
The first strike of "Sariki" with the subsequent transition to a real typhoon Hainan was expected earlyin the morning in the southeast, between the cities of Qinghai and Sanya. The authorities reacted very quickly and in all seriousness began preparing for the impending disaster.
Disaster Preparedness
But people didn't just wait for a hurricane to hit Hainan Island. Typhoon Sarika forced the provincial authorities to hold an emergency meeting and quickly develop the necessary measures. I must say that the work was carried out quickly and professionally. Kindergartens, schools and tourism organizations in eight counties were closed, and residents and tourists were warned of the danger, access to the beaches was prohibited. High-speed trains connecting cities in Hainan were suspended on the night of October 17-18. Since the 17th, five flights have been canceled at the main Meilan International Airport in Haikou, and terminal staff have been preparing for a large-scale cancellation of another 250 flights.
Provincial governments have conducted an emergency safety inspection of the reservoir system, power sources and water supply. Workers in the fishing and agricultural sectors have been alerted and additional security measures have been taken. There was a ban on access to the sea of ships. In the neighboring province of Guangdong, the fishing department took over all fishing vessels from the surrounding waters of Hainan Island.
Evacuation
Six shelters were urgently set up on the island, where about half a million families of fishermen, construction workers from the coast and residents of lowland areas were evacuated. Residents of Yongxin Island, south of Hainan, were also urgently evacuated.which was supposed to be the first object in the path of the cyclone. About 8,000 tourists were evacuated from Weizhou Island on Monday, before the start of the disaster. A total of 1,370,000 people were evacuated.
By the time the severe floods and the death of 25 people in Vietnam, which covered the hurricane Sarika, were reported, Hainan Island was ready to meet the typhoon fully armed.
Typhoon
Stormy winds and torrential downpours began as early as Monday the 17th. This caused an accident on one of the main highways of Hainan, where a bus carrying 45 passengers overturned.
On Tuesday, October 18, at 9:50 am, a typhoon broke into Hainan with a powerful wind at a speed of 130 km per hour and gusts up to 160 km. The first "Sariku" was met by the tourist city of Vanning, which is 139 km from the capital and from where 137,000 residents were evacuated the day before. Here the storm uprooted massive trees. China's flood control authorities also reported six-meter waves and winds of about 100 km per hour hitting Guangdong.
Many areas of the island were without power due to broken wires, roofs were blown off, trees were knocked down. The wireless communication of 8,000 base stations, disorganized by bad weather, began to fail.
But the Hainan typhoon caused particular damage not by winds, but by bringing heavy downpours to the island. By noon on the 18th, the level of precipitation reached 203 mm, and during the day it exceeded 300 mm. Water flooded 62 settlements and covered 15 thousand hectares of fields. Around the cityThe Qinghaya River overflowed its banks, flooding roads and cutting off communications. In some counties and rural areas, the downpours have led to landslides and mudflows. In addition, the worst contamination of drinking water was registered on Tuesday.
Consequences
Direct economic damage caused by Typhoon Hainan amounted to 570 million yuan ($85 million). Fortunately, there were no human casu alties. The hurricane relief department distributed tents, blankets, food, drinking water to the areas most affected by the disaster.
The main damage was caused to agriculture, roads were destroyed, residential buildings in the lowlands were flooded, sometimes entire villages. On the morning of the 18th, 31 cows were electrocuted in a settlement near Vanning. The wind cut off the wires of the high-voltage line that ran over the barn where the animals were locked up. The farm owner himself, along with other villagers, was evacuated on Monday evening.
Traces of the typhoon are now completely gone in Hainan. The island recovered fairly quickly from the disaster. Plantations and picturesque places with unique vegetation have been restored. The tourism industry is flawlessly established, so the hotels of "Eastern Hawaii" are still ready to welcome guests.
