Super Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest tropical cyclone of the year, has battered Hong Kong with hurricane-force winds and heavy rain, while Taiwan is counting the loss of 14 lives due to torrential downpours.
In Taiwan’s eastern Hualien County, a barrier lake overflowed and unleashed a wall of water into a town, flooding homes and streets. The fire department confirmed the deaths and said the island has been facing nonstop rains since Monday from the outer rim of Ragasa.
Hong Kong is also facing severe damage. Huge waves have crashed onto eastern and southern shorelines, submerging roads and flooding residential areas. Videos from the Fullerton Hotel showed seawater breaking through glass doors and flooding the lobby. In Tseung Kwan O, parts of the promenade were underwater, while on Lantau Island, flooding spread across beaches and low-lying areas near the international airport.
The Hong Kong Observatory raised the typhoon signal to 10, the highest warning, shutting down businesses and transport services. Authorities warned that sea levels could rise up to four meters, similar to destructive levels seen during Typhoon Hato in 2017 and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. Nearly 50 temporary shelters have been opened, with more than 700 people already seeking safety.
The storm, packing winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, is expected to remain a super typhoon as it heads towards Guangdong province in southern China, where over 125 million people live. Authorities in Guangdong have evacuated more than 770,000 people, closed schools, cancelled flights, and suspended high-speed rail services. China’s marine authority issued its highest wave warning, predicting storm surges of nearly three meters.
In Macau, casinos were forced to close gambling halls, and guests were ordered to stay indoors as winds intensified. Across Guangdong’s major cities, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, and Dongguan, life has come to a halt as millions brace for Ragasa’s landfall.
The typhoon earlier struck the northern Philippines before hitting Taiwan and is now on track to hit mainland China with devastating force.
