Water flooding crisis: A year after Hato

By Ella Sio

On August 23 2017, the strong Typhoon Hato devastated the entire Macao. The serious water flooding caused by the Signal No.10 made the citizens all suffer from heavy losses, and even some of them lost their lives. Looking back at the experience of Hato, we would like to know how water flooding affected Macao people and what suggestion they have to solve the flooding crisis.

Mr. So, who is engaged in environmental recycling in the Inner Harbor area, recalled the escape experience of Hato, "When the sea water poured into my store, I fled to the attic to avoid it, but the water level rose sharply and even the attic was no longer safe." Fortunately, a ship that was forced to turn back due to the typhoon saved his life, so he swam to the ship to take refuge. He smiled and said, "Because the water was rising, it was safer to stay on the water than on land." However, the escape experience was really frightening to him even after an entire year.

So questioned the accuracy of the warning signal issued by the authorities at that time. he believed that the government's construction of waterproof gates, water level detection and other disaster prevention measures were unrealistic so the tragedy occurred. He suggested that it is more practical to build a large tidal gate as soon as possible.

The head of a temple in Rua de Cinco de Outubro, Mr. Lu said that he is old enough to have a relatively strong experience of encountering strong typhoons. He also lamented that nowadays, the people in Macao have a weak sense of crisis. The new generation does not understand disasters, because Macao was too safe and sound in the past few decades. Lu believed that disaster prevention education is important to train young people to be independent, self-caring, and raise their sense of crisis, so that they could be fearless and able to save themselves during disasters.

After the typhoon, many volunteers and organizations walked in the front line to help and clean up the streets. Mr. Yang, a Fai Chi Kei resident, also participated in the exhibition, witnessing many unforgettable moments. He pointed out that the street was full of rubbish, the trees were uprooted, the signs and scaffolding were crumbling. However, because of the typhoon, Yang deeply felt the kindness and solidarity of Macao people, adding a strong touch to warm the destroyed city.

A year after Hato, water flooding is still happening in the typhoon season. On Sep 17, 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut prompted the Typhoon Signal No. 10 in Macao, and made the entire city suffer from flooding again. It is hoped that similar incidents will no longer occur and the government will be able to do practical wind and flood prevention measures. In 2020, can our home not be flooded?

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