Typhoon Ragasa, a ferocious super typhoon and one of the most powerful storms in recent years, unleashed chaos across Hong Kong, southern China, Taiwan, and the Philippines on Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction, at least 17 deaths, and widespread disruption. With winds roaring at 195 kmph, the storm battered coastal regions, flooded communities, and forced over a million people to evacuate.

In Hong Kong, Ragasa’s fierce winds and towering waves, some taller than lampposts, pummeled waterfront promenades, waking residents in the early hours. Social media buzzed with reports of chaos: a kitchen ventilation fan ripped from a wall, a construction crane swaying precariously, and parts of a pedestrian bridge’s roof torn away. Fallen trees littered the city, and hospitals treated at least 13 injured residents. The Hong Kong Observatory reported Ragasa passing just 100 kilometers south of the financial hub, moving west-northwest at 22 kmph. Schools, businesses, and flights ground to a halt, with hundreds seeking shelter in temporary centers.

Southern China’s Guangdong province, an economic powerhouse, bore the brunt of Ragasa’s wrath. State broadcaster CCTV reported over a million people relocated as the typhoon barreled toward a projected landfall between Taishan and Zhanjiang by Wednesday evening. Schools, factories, and transit services were suspended across a dozen cities, while shops shuttered in preparation for the storm’s destructive winds and torrential rain.

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In Macao, the nearby casino hub, similar scenes unfolded. Flights were canceled, schools closed, and one person was injured as hundreds took refuge in shelters. The storm’s intensity disrupted normal life, with businesses boarded up and streets eerily quiet.

Ragasa’s devastation began earlier in Taiwan and the Philippines. In Taiwan’s Hualien County, heavy rains caused a barrier lake to overflow, unleashing torrents of muddy water that demolished a bridge and turned Guangfu township’s roads into raging rivers, sweeping away vehicles and debris. Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported 14 deaths and 18 injuries. In the northern Philippines, where Ragasa—meaning “scramble” in Tagalog—struck earlier, at least three people died, five went missing, and over 17,500 were displaced by flooding and landslides.

As Ragasa continues its destructive path, authorities across the region are bracing for further impacts, urging residents to remain vigilant as the storm’s relentless winds and rain threaten more lives and infrastructure.

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