‘Worst post-typhoon tree situation’: Hong Kong’s long clean-up after Mangkhut
Arborists and contractors toiling to clear damaged greenery across city, with expert estimating it would take at least another month of work
After working in the sweltering heat for more than three hours removing trees uprooted by Typhoon Mangkhut, arborist Bill Lau has only finished half a Caesar salad for lunch.
“I’m too tired to have an appetite,” Lau, 35, founder of Lam Long Nursery and Landscape Contractor Company said. “This is the worst post-typhoon situation I have seen since I joined the industry almost nine years ago.”
A week ago, Mangkhut, the city’s strongest typhoon on record, slammed into Hong Kong, activating the highest tier No 10 warning signal. The monster storm wreaked havoc – buildings swayed, windows were smashed and transport came to a standstill.
The clean-up in the aftermath of Mangkhut looks to be a long one, with more than 17,00 trees uprooted across the city, 1,000 roads blocked and billions in infrastructure damage.
Just on tree clearing alone, Lau estimated it would take at least another month to clean up the mess wrought by Mangkhut. He said because of the huge amount of fallen trees, most work centred on disposing of the damaged greenery instead of replanting them, which would incur more costs.
On Friday, the Cultural Services Department, which manages trees in the city, said it would deploy about 900 workers and contractors daily to address the issue.
