Super Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest tropical cyclone globally this year, unleashed chaos across Hong Kong on Wednesday, flooding roads, battering coastlines, and forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, even as Taiwan reported 14 deaths following days of torrential rain.
Taiwan’s Fire Department said a barrier lake in Hualien County overflowed, sending a wall of water into a town and causing multiple fatalities. The island has endured Ragasa’s outer bands since Monday, which triggered landslides and inundated infrastructure.
In Hong Kong, authorities issued the city’s highest Typhoon Signal No. 10 early Wednesday, urging businesses, schools, and transport services to shut down. The Hong Kong Observatory warned of “phenomenal seas” and storm surges up to four meters, similar to those seen during devastating typhoons Hato (2017) and Mangkhut (2018).
Huge waves crashed over coastal roads, flooding homes and hotels. Viral videos showed seawater surging through the Fullerton hotel’s lobby on the island’s south side. In Tseung Kwan O and Lantau Island, waterfront promenades and beaches were submerged.
Residents rushed to supermarkets ahead of the storm, with shelves emptied amid fears of prolonged closures. Authorities opened 49 emergency shelters, with over 700 people seeking refuge. A woman and her young son remain in intensive care after being swept into the sea while watching the storm.
Packing sustained winds of 200 kph (124 mph), Ragasa is expected to maintain super typhoon strength as it moves toward Guangdong Province, China’s manufacturing heartland and home to more than 125 million people.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that over 770,000 residents have been evacuated. High-speed rail, schools, and airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen have been closed, with thousands of flights cancelled.
China’s marine authority has issued its first “red” wave warning of the year, forecasting surges of up to 2.8 meters in parts of Guangdong. Emergency teams have deployed tents, folding beds, and other relief supplies to the region.
Ragasa has already struck the northern Philippines and Taiwan earlier this week, and forecasters warn it could bring widespread flooding and damage when it makes landfall in China from midday Wednesday.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
