Advance, Upgrade, Enhance Efficiency, Accelerate—A Chronicle of Taicang Maritime's Defense Against Typhoon "Bawei"

Taicang, the eastern gateway of Yangtze River shipping, where the river meets the sea, with strong winds and high waves.

In July 2026, Typhoon "Bavi" (No. 9) approached the Yangtze River estuary. On July 12, the maximum wind force measured in the Taicang section reached level 11, the highest along the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River. Strong southeast winds carried huge waves into the trumpet-shaped river surface, pushing the risks of anchor dragging, capsizing, and collisions to the peak.

"Better to prepare ten times in vain than to miss once." The Taicang Maritime Safety Administration launched a comprehensive typhoon defense strategy with the principles of "early action, upgraded measures, enhanced efficiency, and accelerated response," implementing detailed measures for waterway control, ship evacuation, hazard inspection, and emergency stationing. During the typhoon's impact, 361 sheltering ships and 2,659 water personnel remained unharmed, achieving "zero accidents, zero casualties" in the jurisdiction.

Early Action: Staying Ahead of the Wind

In typhoon defense, the first priority is to race against time.

On July 6, when "Bavi" was still far out at sea, the Taicang Maritime Safety Administration had already initiated pre-typhoon assessments. The leadership team held daily meetings at 8 a.m. to analyze the situation, adhering to the principle of "waterways before land, docks before waterways," and dynamically adjusted response measures. Deputy Director Zhang Xiaodong described the decision-making logic at the time: "We must prepare for the worst-case scenario and guide high-risk vessels to low-risk areas for shelter in advance." By midnight on July 9, all typhoon response measures were in place, and key vessels had completed "stopping, shutting down, evacuating, and transferring."

The time gained turned into a tangible advantage in typhoon defense.

Ports were still operational, and coal shipments continued to arrive. Ensuring safety while maintaining livelihoods, the Taicang Maritime Safety Administration scientifically allocated resources, reserving anchorage spots for large vessels entering and leaving the port, providing reassurance to docks and ship operators. A dedicated channel was opened for nine coal ships, unloading 237,000 tons of coal before the port was closed due to the typhoon, ensuring energy supply and meeting public needs.

Clear data leads to precise measures. Speaking about the precision of ship management, Director Dong Ping of the Taicang Maritime Safety Administration Command Center explained: "Through both information systems and on-site verification, we established a control list for 19 categories of key vessels, fully understanding the number of ships in the jurisdiction. Based on the risk characteristics of each type of vessel, we implemented targeted measures and closed-loop management." For key vessels such as hazardous chemical carriers, heavily loaded small river vessels, multi-layer container ships, construction ships, floating docks, and heavy cargo transport ships, the sheltering areas, evacuation deadlines, and monitoring standards were clearly defined for each type. "One ship, one policy; categorized typhoon sheltering" built the defense line ahead of every risk.

Upgraded Measures: Ensuring Maximum Effectiveness

When the wind comes, control standards cannot remain at normal levels.

During the typhoon's impact, 361 vessels anchored for shelter in the Taicang section of the Yangtze River, with over 2,600 people on board. Controlling the ships and protecting the people required measures stronger than the wind.

In the command center of the Taicang Maritime Safety Administration, screens flickered, and high-frequency communications were constant. On-duty personnel conducted roll calls for key vessels every half hour—"Please report your current anchorage and watch status!" The radio waves cutting through the storm became a reassuring background sound for anchored ships.

The tension in control measures had already been heightened before the typhoon's arrival. All CAPE-type ultra-large vessels, hazardous chemical carriers, and river roll-on/roll-off ships were evacuated from the port for shelter. Ships carrying more than two layers of containers above deck completed unloading and evacuation. Before the typhoon's arrival, a total of 225 high-risk vessels had been evacuated.

The shoreline was also under pressure. At the Yangtze River Offshore Engineering Terminal, five newly built berthed ships faced the risk of mooring line breakage and drifting. The Taicang Maritime Safety Administration implemented precise defenses with "one ship, one policy," deploying six tugboats and law enforcement personnel for dedicated monitoring. A crew member who was evacuated later recalled: "The maritime authorities instructed us to secure or evacuate powerless ships, construction vessels, and floating docks one by one. At that time, five construction vessels were safely transferred, 12 floating docks were secured, and 116 frontline workers were all evacuated ashore."

Enhanced Efficiency: Working as One

In the face of a typhoon, no one is an outsider.

As "Bavi" approached, ships from Shanghai and Zhejiang urgently needed to enter the Yangtze River for shelter. The Jiangsu Maritime Safety Administration proactively coordinated with maritime authorities in Shanghai and Zhejiang, establishing mechanisms for real-time information sharing, coordinated ship evacuation, and shared risk management.

Deputy Director Zhen Huihui of the Taicang Maritime Safety Administration Command Center said: "To address the sheltering needs of ships from Shanghai and Zhejiang, we proactively coordinated with maritime authorities in those regions, establishing mechanisms for real-time information sharing, coordinated ship evacuation, and shared risk management. We opened the sheltering channels in our jurisdiction to the fullest extent, making every effort to accommodate the evacuated ships from the two regions and effectively alleviating the direct impact of the typhoon on Shanghai and Zhejiang."

A large number of ships poured in for shelter, causing a sudden increase in anchorage pressure in the jurisdiction. To address this challenge, the Taicang Maritime Safety Administration sought assistance from the Jiangsu Maritime Safety Administration to coordinate with four upstream maritime branches for scientific allocation of sheltering areas. Zhen Huihui explained: "We guided ships upstream for shelter, transferring over 100 high-risk vessels from the Taicang jurisdiction to safer upstream waters in an orderly manner, effectively reducing the anchorage density in Taicang waters and eliminating safety risks caused by overcrowded anchorages."

Meanwhile, joint prevention and coordination were simultaneously carried out between the main and tributary streams, primary channels, and inland rivers. Radar monitoring, on-site inspections, and phone reminders guided over 300 small vessels into safe inland waters for shelter, achieving "all small vessels evacuated as needed."

Accelerated Response: Staying Closest

"Deploy emergency forces in advance! The closest distance, the fastest response!"

This was the unyielding order for typhoon defense from the Taicang Maritime Safety Administration. All staff canceled their leave and were on duty. Twelve young core members from the agency were sent to the front lines, and a party commando team was deployed to the forefront of typhoon defense.

On the river, a 48-hour vigil began. Thirty-five tugboats and 26 maritime law enforcement officers were stationed at 12 points, braving the wind and waves to maintain a constant presence. The administration coordinated with four rescue centers in Chongming, Baoshan, Nantong, and Changshu to jointly deploy defenses in boundary waters, forming a solid safety barrier on the river.

By July 14, the impact of Typhoon "Bavi" on the Taicang section of the Yangtze River had gradually weakened. After the typhoon, the daily vessel traffic in the Taicang section of the Yangtze River was expected to reach a peak of over 3,000 trips. Moving forward, the Taicang Maritime Safety Administration will focus on the "second half" of typhoon defense, leveraging its role as the "gateway" of Yangtze River shipping to ensure safe and orderly navigation in the Taicang section, restore port operations as soon as possible, and minimize the typhoon's impact.

Early action, upgraded measures, enhanced efficiency, and accelerated response—Taicang maritime personnel built four solid defense lines, writing "zero accidents, zero casualties" on the crest of the storm. The winds and waves will eventually subside, but the maritime Great Wall built ahead of the typhoon will stand firm forever.