Authorities striving to restore life in Jiangsu
By CANG WEI in Nanjing and PENG CHAO | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-09-18 21:51
Authorities in East China's Jiangsu province are working to restore normal life after Typhoon Bebinca made landfall on Monday.
Bebinca, the 13th typhoon of the year, struck Shanghai early Monday before moving inland, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain to provinces including Jiangsu.
In Suzhou, authorities are helping hairy crab breeders around Yangcheng Lake resume operations, Modern Express reported. Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs are highly prized in China for their taste, and the typhoon had sparked concerns about this year's harvest.
Li Gang, an official with Suzhou's agricultural comprehensive law enforcement team, said damage assessments have been ongoing since Tuesday. While some net enclosures were destroyed and shelters overturned, there have been no reports of casualties. "We are working with other departments to help crab farmers restore production," Li said.
Xu Hao, a crab farmer in the area, said that proactive measures to reinforce crab farms before the storm prevented major damage. "There's no need to worry about the crabs," Xu said. "They stay at the bottom of the lake and can't be blown away."
Yao Shuisheng, spokesperson for the Suzhou Yangcheng Lake Crab Association, confirmed that the typhoon only caused infrastructure damage, such as downed power poles, which left some farmers unable to use aerator pumps. Emergency repairs are underway, and the crab harvest will proceed as planned next Wednesday, he said.
In Wuxi, authorities extended free parking in government-owned outdoor lots and roadside spaces until Friday to assist residents repairing typhoon-damaged vehicles. The city's flood control office announced that traffic police would not fine damaged vehicles parked on roads.
In Nanjing, urban management teams and sanitation workers began clearing fallen tree branches and debris immediately after the storm. The city's transportation bureau has increased highway patrols to report and remove obstructions.
Despite infrastructure damage, local authorities said efforts to restore normalcy were progressing swiftly.
Guo Jun contributed to this story.