Super Typhoon Yagi has caused widespread power outages in Haikou, Hainan province, since Friday. The typhoon severely disrupted residents' daily routines and underscored the pressing need for phone charging services. To address the challenge, major shopping centers like Friend Sunny City and Wuyue Plaza have taken proactive measures to offer electricity and internet access and provide residents with tables and chairs.
On early Monday, citizens queued up at the entrance of the Friend Nanhai City, equipped with charging cables and power banks. As the doors opened at 9:50 am, they quickly headed to the designated charging area. "It's very comfortable here. This is my fourth day coming here," a frequent visitor surnamed Pang said.
Several hotels in the city have also provided essential services such as showers, rest, charging facilities, and tea to residents affected by the aftermath of the storm.
On Sunday morning, Liao Jingwen, who had been unable to take a bath for three days due to the typhoon, sought a hotel for a much-needed shower. Huangma Holiday Nanyang Museum Hotel addressed her urgent request, and both she and her partner received complimentary accommodation.
On the same day, the hotel extended free 3-hour stays to over a hundred residents in need. Wang Hongmei, a manager at the hotel, said, "With a total of 103 rooms, we have almost reached full occupancy. However, we have set aside 17 rooms as 'Yagi Care Rooms' to provide free accommodation to the public."
The tourism and cultural industry in the province aims to achieve a recovery rate of 75 percent before the upcoming three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which commences on Sunday. Additionally, it strives to surpass an 85 percent recovery rate before the seven-day National Day holiday starting on Oct 1. This initiative is designed to ensure that the local residents and visitors' needs are met for a holiday, said Chen Tiejun, director of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, in a press briefing on Tuesday evening.
Chen added that as of Tuesday, 601 affected tourism entities in Hainan have resumed operations, with a recovery rate of 56.43 percent. Hotels and inns have returned to normal operations at 459 locations, while 21 guesthouses have resumed normal operations.
Individuals who contribute to the housing provident fund are now eligible to withdraw housing provident funds to aid in the rebuilding and repair of damaged homes. The initiative also encompasses deferred provident fund payments for businesses impacted by the typhoon and extended repayment deadlines for borrowers facing challenges with housing provident fund loans.
As of Tuesday noon, in Lingao county, out of the 420,594 residents, 402,327 have been severely impacted by the storm, resulting in a disaster rate of 95.66 percent. Li Caihong, deputy head of Lingao county, said that the direct economic losses are estimated at 9.649 billion yuan ($1.356 billion).
The Jinpai Port Development Zone in Lingao has 14 industrial projects under construction and 12 in operation. Many of these projects had resumed work by Tuesday. Of the 190 agricultural enterprises affected, 185 had resumed operations as of Tuesday, achieving a recovery rate of 97.37 percent. Among the 94 ongoing construction projects, 45 had resumed, with a recovery rate of 47.8 percent, Li said.
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