Typhoon Ragasa batters Hong Kong and south China after killing dozens in Taiwan
Nearly 1.9 million people were relocated across Guangdong province, the southern Chinese economic powerhouse. A weather station in Chuandao town recorded maximum gusts of 241 kph (about 150 mph) at noon, a high in Jiangmen city since record-keeping began. Huge waves battered Zhuhai city’s coastline and strong winds buffered trees under intense rain. Fallen branches were scattered on the streets.
State broadcaster CCTV said the typhoon made landfall along the coast of Hailing Island in Yangjiang city at about 5 p.m., packing maximum winds near the center a few of them distant from the landfall location were preparing to resume work as winds weakened
The fierce winds, brought by Ragasa, once a super typhoon, woke Hong Kong residents in the early hours, and many went online to describe scenes like a kitchen ventilation fan being blown down andA video that showed waves of water crashing through the doors of a hotel and flooding its interiors went viral in the financial hub. The hotel has not immediately commented on the incident. But staff were seen cleaning up the lobby, with parts of its exterior damaged.The observatory said Ragasa is the strongest tropical cyclone in the northwestern Pacific and South China Sea region so far this year. Preliminary analysis showed it also ranks as the second-strongest one in the South China Sea region since the observatory’s record-keeping
Hong Kong and Macao, a nearby casino hub, canceled schools and flights, with many shops closed. Hundreds of people sought refuge in temporary centers in each city. Streets in Macao turned into streams with debris floating on the water. Rescue crews deployed inflatable boats to save those who were trapped. The gambling city’s local In Taiwan, 17 people died after heavy rain caused a barrier lake in Hualien County to overflow Tuesday and torrents of muddy water destroyed a bridge, turning roads in Guangfu township into churning rivers that carried vehicles and furniture away.
Guangfu has about 8,450 people, more than half of whom sought safety on higher floors of their homes or on higher ground on Wednesday morning.
Rescuers managed to establish contact with more than 100 others who were previously unreachable, and were going door-to-door to ch