Typhoon Ragasa battering Hong Kong and southern China leaves Taiwan and Philippines with fatalities

Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest storms in years, battered Hong Kong and the southern Chinese coast on Wednesday, capping a path that left at least 14 people dead in Taiwan and four in the Philippines. The cyclone also triggered widespread evacuations and transport disruptions across Guangdong province, with authorities opening emergency centers as waves and winds battered coastal areas.

China’s national weather agency warned that Ragasa could make landfall between Yangjiang and Zhanjiang in the evening, while the Hong Kong Observatory reported sustained winds near the storm’s center of about 120 mph as it skirted roughly 62 miles south of the city and moved west or west-northwest at about 14 mph. In Hong Kong, residents woke to powerfully gusty conditions and scenes of destruction, including a kitchen ventilation fan blown down, a crane swaying, and debris scattered along inundated promenades. Officials said hundreds of trees were toppled and some vessels ran aground or into shore, with more than 30 people treated for injuries. A video circulating on social media showed waves crashing through the doors of a hotel, underscoring the storm’s intensity. The city has long warned that a typhoon of Ragasa’s strength could trigger losses comparable to major past events. The government estimated direct economic losses could reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Across Guangdong, authorities relocated nearly 1.9 million people as the storm approached the coast. Schools, factories and transit services were suspended in about a dozen cities. Macau canceled numerous flights and ferries, and local power supplies were temporarily shut in some flooded, low-lying areas for safety. The scale of preparations reflected Ragasa’s potential to generate dangerous waves and strong winds along the southern Chinese shoreline.

In Taiwan, heavy rainfall caused a barrier lake to overflow in Hualien County, turning Guangfu township’s roads into torrents that carried vehicles and debris. Rescue crews were conducting door-to-door checks in Guangfu, a township of about 8,450 residents, where authorities said 14 people had died and 124 remained unaccounted for. Officials reported 34 injuries across the island as emergency services scrambled to reach flooded or isolated communities.

In the Philippines, authorities confirmed at least four deaths as Ragasa left its mark across parts of the country. In Luzon, nearly 700,000 people were affected, including about 25,000 who sought shelter in government emergency facilities. The storm’s path through the region disrupted transportation and forced temporary evacuations as authorities warned of continuing risks from rain, landslides and rising seas.

As Ragasa moved inland, meteorologists cautioned that heavy rainfall could continue to threaten parts of southern China and nearby territories, with the potential for further evacuations and infrastructure damage. The full scope of damage and relief needs was expected to unfold over the coming days as authorities maintained Web- and radio-based alerts and mobilized emergency response teams to assist affected residents.