By Ralph Harpuder

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A report in the Bullelin-Igud Yolzei Sin by Sonny Isaacs, dated September-October 2002, recalling the typhoons in Shanghai, prompted yours truly to look for photographs hidden among my Hongkew memorabilia depicting this kind of devastating meteorological event. Floods, typhoons, and tides are the greatest threats from nature to Shanghai as it sits on the tip of the Yangtze Delta.

When the periodic, typhoon, also referred to as a tropical cyclone, hits Shanghai, usually between July and September, the Whangpoo River overflows and the streets become a flowing river over two or three feet deep.

The photograph in figure one, taken in 1939, shows a flooded street in Hongkew. During the days in the Jewish Ghetto, water came gushing into dwellings of the low, lane-type houses, and if this was not enough the poor physical condition of Jewish refugees as the war continued became a potential for contracting one of many enteric type diseases prevalent at the time. Typhoons, the way we Shanghailanders remember them, knew no boundaries and caused devastating affects in all three separate municipal entities; the International Settlement, the French Concession and Greater Shanghai. 

The following photographs where taken in the early 30‘s prior to the Sino Japanese War. They were photographed in the French Concession, which started approximately one mile west of the Bun4 and south of Nangking Road. 

Figures two thru seven show the popular Route Cardinal Mercier flooded by a typhoon. It was also the street where the Lyceum Theater was located (see figure eight thru eleven). 

Figures 12 thru 13 illustrate a program of a comedy performance given in January 1943 at the Lyceum Theater. It was only a couple of months later when the Japanese Proclamation came into affect restricting Jews that arrived in the late 30‘s to a designated area. The theater then became off limits to this group of Jewish refugees. 

In figures 14 thru 15 we see a view of Ave. Joffre flooded by another typhoon. Figure 16 show the same condition at Ave. du Roi Albert after a typhoon.

Although we in the United States also experience natural disasters, including torrential rain and tornados, Shanghailanders today are in better physical condition and in a more secure environment to protect themselves from such impending and unexpected occurrences.

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