Highlight of the Week: Typhoon Yagi – a holiday for some, a nightmare for others

“Hidden effects of typhoons”

When Typhoon Yagi hit Hong Kong in September, many people savored the unexpected holiday. But is a typhoon really a gift?

After the typhoon passed, the streets were a mess. More than 100 trees were uprooted, not to mention countless trash cans that toppled over and scattered trash everywhere. For most of us, it’s just an unpleasant scene that will go away in a few days.

But street cleaners deal with the consequences. Consider this: You are a 60-year-old with little protection in a maze of broken tree branches and trash. You must collect the trash trying not to slip. As a cleaner, you work under time pressure to remove obstacles from the roads as quickly as possible.

While we relax at home, cleaners restore our community. Every typhoon is a burden for cleanup workers.

Typhoons are also a nightmare for another neglected group of people: the homeless. Many of them live in open areas that are susceptible to typhoons and other natural hazards. Many of their houses are made of cardboard which can be easily destroyed in strong storms. Your clothes, sheets and other belongings may be destroyed.

The government tries to take action by creating temporary shelters for the homeless. But these locations may be far away and they may have to leave some of their belongings behind.

Typhoons also bring unexpected benefits to coral reefs, which are an integral part of marine life. These reefs are being damaged by a multitude of dangers, such as overfishing, pollution and climate change. All of this bleaches the corals, which lose their color and slowly die. Although typhoons can damage weak corals, they also bring cooler water, making the temperature more ideal for coral reefs to regenerate.

Typhoons come with blessings and curses. Vacations are fantastic, but we must look beyond our interests and consider those around us.