The Government holds a press briefing to conclude the measures taken during Typhoon Mangkhut affecting Macao and to outline the plans for returning community life to normal when the existing typhoon signal is either lowered or cancelled.
The Government has pledged its utmost effort to remove, once the typhoon signal has been scaled back, typhoon-related debris on streets. This is in order to restore vehicle traffic flow on major arterial roads and to bring community life back to normal.
The Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak, made the pledge late on Sunday evening (16 September), when Typhoon Signal No.8 was still in force. His comments came during a briefing at the Civil Protection Operations Centre to conclude the emergency coordination effort regarding Typhoon Mangkhut, as well as the next phase of recovery work.
Typhoon Mangkhut, which has been classified as a “super typhoon”, has brought adverse weather to the Pearl River Delta, including Macao. Typhoon Signal No.10 – the highest category in the city’s six-level typhoon warning system – was in place for nine hours on Sunday. It was the longest period of time since 1968 that such a signal had been in active use.
The Government and the public had respectively been fully prepared for this typhoon; illustrating the significant progress that had been made in dealing with such events compared to the fatalities incurred during Typhoon Hato in August last year.
Secretary Wong took the opportunity to thank the public for their cooperation with the Government. This had helped minimise the disruption wrought on Macao by this intense typhoon.
During the hours of adverse weather on Sunday, the period from 3pm to 5pm saw floodwaters reach about 1.9 metres in height in some areas in Macao. It had been anticipated that floodwater would recede from 11pm onward.
Emergency repairs to certain power transformer stations located at street level in low-lying areas were carried out once floodwaters receded. Electrical supply in the affected low-lying areas has been gradually resumed.
In view of the fact community life had been seriously disrupted by the typhoon, the Government had announced that public services and schools – the exception being the civil protection system – would be suspended today (Monday).
The carriageways on the lower deck of the Sai Van Bridge were open as of early Monday morning. The city’s three bridges between Macao and Taipa are routinely closed in the event of Typhoon Signal No.8 or above. The lower deck of the Sai Van Bridge is routinely closed in the event of a Typhoon Signal above No.8.
The Macau International Airport said there was a total of 203 flights originally scheduled over the weekend that were either cancelled or delayed due to Typhoon Mangkhut. It was expected the airport could resume normal operations after 8am today.
The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau plans to set up refuse collection points in a total of 45 locations in low-lying areas. All of these collection points are expected to be operational after 7.30am today. For details of the locations, please visit: https://www.iacm.gov.mo/sal/c/tempgarbage/map.
The Government has urged the public to dispose at this stage only of easily perishable materials. Such disposal should be done at the designated areas.