A citywide clean-up is still underway in Macao after Super Typhoon Ragasa pummelled the city on Wednesday, causing severe flooding in low-lying areas, as well as the suspension of services and facilities.
Units and businesses across various locations such as the Inner Harbour, Patane and Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (San Ma Lo), were hit by floods as high as 1.5 metres, leaving huge piles of debris in their wake.
After the typhoon alert for Ragasa was lowered to a signal no. 8 at 4 pm on Wednesday, the authorities launched a clean-up effort, dispatching staff members, 26 garbage trucks and 16 compactor vehicles with cranes.
During this initial phase of the clean-up, close to 700 tons of garbage was collected, a figure that is over 70 percent higher than the volume of rubbish recorded on a regular day.
Some 116 teams made up of around 1,100 public servants from nearly 40 government departments also ventured out into Macao’s residential areas, alleys, parks and leisure areas yesterday to assist with the clean up. They were accompanied by law enforcement members, the 13 associations and organisations that make up the Civil Protection Community Liaison Mechanism and volunteers.
Residents and merchants in low-lying areas have been assessing the damage and cleaning up as well.
“It’s always a mess like this every time after flooding,” one car repair show owner located on Travessa do Almirante Sérgio told TDM. “The losses are definitely in the tens of thousands.”
[See more: Typhoon Ragasa set multiple weather records for Macao]
Coloane also sustained serious flooding during the typhoon, with one resident noting that the water level reached roughly 1 metre, inundating his property in spite of flood gates being set up.
“Even the elevated items were submerged,” another Colaone resident said in a TDM interview. “When I got home, I saw that the cabinet doors and dining tables were soaked.”
While Macao has largely returned to normal operations, some services and facilities remain suspended due to the damage sustained during Ragasa. The government is urging the public to avoid visiting the beaches in Hac Sa and Cheoc Van until further notice, as a clean-up effort is currently underway to remove the large amounts of rubbish and debris that were swept onshore.
Meanwhile, walking and cycling trails across the city remain temporarily closed, although the Municipal Affairs Bureau notes that 90 percent of the leisure areas, as well as over half of the parks and dog walking areas have reopened.
Most cultural sites in Macao, including historic landmarks, libraries, museums and exhibition areas, have restarted normal operations. However, the Patane Library, Red Market Library, Coloane Library, Tak Seng On Pawnshop Museum and the site of the former Chong Sai Pharmacy remain shuttered due to impact from the floods.
Regarded as the strongest storm on Earth so far this year, Ragasa broke various weather records in Macao. It sustained its typhoon no. 10 signal for roughly 10.5 hours, becoming the longest-lasting cyclone of this level since the start of records in 1968. As well, Ragasa’s passage marks the first time in the SAR’s history that a level 10 typhoon has been hoisted twice in the same year.
