LAMMA ISLAND, Hong Kong -- After a violent “black-warning” rainstorm on June 7, the residents here who like to romp in the shadow of Hongkong Electric’s massive power station discovered a new beach. To repeat and clarify, that’s a “new” beach, not a nude beach.

The friendly face of Lamma’s Power Station Beach frequently changes, its contours and features remolded by the forces of nature, especially wind and water. But with the latest storm, Mother Nature did a massive redesign.

What used to be the main entrance became a large pond, like a wading pool. Deep trenches zigzagged through the sand. New channels drained into the ocean. In a “green education” move, the vegetation’s deep roots lay exposed for easy study. A familiar rubbish bin stood precariously at the edge of a new precipice. Evidently, the boats stashed beneath adjacent trees nearly had sailed without crews.

After the storm, human and canine visitors to the beach marveled. Some remarked that construction workers recently had needed months to rebuild a drainage ditch through the island’s main village. But a big storm can carve out multiple drainage routes and a lot more within a few hours.


Deep trenches cut across the sand.


Boats stashed beneath the trees: still there, barely.


The beach gains a wading pool.


A soggy theme prevails.

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