Jilin steps up post-flood recovery work, braces for new typhoon

CHANGCHUN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Flood-affected areas of northeast China's Jilin Province have sped up recovery work to restore normalcy to people's lives as soon as possible.

In the city of Shulan, where typhoon-induced rainstorms had left 14 people dead and one missing by Sunday, water levels in major reservoirs and rivers have receded to within the safe range.

By 9 p.m. on Monday, the city had restored communications to 40 villages, reinstated power to over 16,000 households, and disinfected 1,012 households, according to the flood control and disaster relief headquarters of Shulan.

Authorities evacuated about 19,000 people to safer places last week. Some of them chose to stay in temporary shelters set up by the government where food and water are regularly distributed and accommodation is provided.

Among them is Sun Cai from Xinkai Village, who is staying at the relocation center at No. 26 middle school in Shulan.

"We've never seen such massive flooding," said Sun. "At first, we were resistant to evacuating, thinking it was just heavy rain. It's all thanks to the local officials who persistently told us to leave." Even now, the fear of what might have happened lingers in his mind, he said.

Local authorities have taken various measures to ensure the basic living needs of the affected population, such as sanitation, food and medical assistance.

"Here, we have access to electricity, the internet and proper sanitation facilities. Our basic needs are being taken care of," said Jin Wenge, another relocated villager, at a shelter in Jinma Township.

In Kaiyuan Township in Shulan, some of the affected villagers have returned to their homes to clear away the mud and debris. However, due to road collapses and blockages in certain areas, large machinery cannot get direct access. Over 1,000 rescue personnel are actively engaged in road clearance, village cleaning and other operations.

At the same time, the provincial government of Jilin is also gearing up to address the next round of rainfall as Typhoon Khanun, the sixth typhoon of this year, is expected to impact northeast China.

Cities including Tonghua, Baishan and Taonan have intensified their efforts to enhance the monitoring of major rivers, conducted on-site inspections of key areas such as geological hazard-prone locations and urban waterlogging points, and reinforced dams.