Storm measures are costly, and inconvenient, but safety is the key
- The Observatory has often been under fire for either overstating or underestimating a typhoon’s impact. However, it is best to err on the side of caution
Hong Kong is breathing a sigh of relief as Super Typhoon Saola relents after sweeping through the city, bringing it to a virtual halt. It was a lucky escape.
This was the first time in five years the No 10 hurricane signal had been hoisted and there were fears of a repeat of the chaos wreaked by another super typhoon, Mangkhut, in 2018. That storm left more than 450 people injured, uprooted 60,000 trees and caused widespread damage.
Thankfully, the city was spared the worst this time. The feared storm surge was not as severe as expected. Flooding was limited. Wind speeds topped 100km/h, but it could have been much worse.
Unlike in 2018, life has quickly returned to normal after two days during which most residents sheltered at home. Some, as is often the case with typhoons, will be wondering what all the fuss was about.
The city pretty much shuts down when a typhoon nears. Hundreds of flights were cancelled on Friday leaving passengers stranded at the airport. Bus and ferry services were suspended. The stock market ceased trading and events were cancelled. Streets became virtually deserted.
All of this comes at great inconvenience and cost. The difficulty in accurately predicting the impact means the weather is sometimes much milder than expected.
I had a love-hate relationship with typhoons during my 28 years in Hong Kong. There is a certain romance about the storms.
Living on an outlying island often meant a frantic, stressful dash for the last ferry ahead of the No 8 signal being raised. I didn’t always make it.
Once home, there was a need to batten down the hatches and join the hurried clearing of supermarket shelves to stock up on provisions. A siege mentality prevailed.
Village houses are vulnerable. There were numerous occasions when my rooftop flooded and had to be bailed out with buckets. By the time Mangkhut struck, I was living in a flat in Discovery Bay. It faced out to sea.
Typhoon Saola leaves debris, fallen trees on Hong Kong roads, but impact small
Water cascaded through the windows, requiring desperate efforts to stem the flow with towels and catch the deluge in bowls. But we fared better than many.
One of my favourite memories is of Typhoon York in 1999, a rare direct hit. I endured a nervous flight into Hong Kong just ahead of the storm after attending a legal conference and was still wearing a pinstriped suit as I walked through the sweeping, horizontal rain to my home in Mui Wo.
I hunkered down with my wife and baby son. But my news editor thought it would be a good idea if I went out for a walk in the eye of the storm.
I am glad I was given that little assignment. The wind had dropped and the wetlands were flooded, providing the perfect environment for many wading birds. Out in the sea a brave – or, more likely, foolhardy – little yacht sailed. It was Hong Kong at its most beautiful.
The city might have avoided the worst of Super Typhoon Saola. But 63 people needed hospital treatment, more than 500 sought refuge at temporary shelters and more than 100 trees fell.
Over the years, I have wondered whether there is a better way of responding to storms. The Observatory has often been under fire for either overstating or underestimating their impact. This is likely to happen less often as the ability to predict weather patterns improves.
The priority, of course, must be to keep people from harm. That means being prepared and erring on the side of caution. The city has come a long way since Super Typhoon Wanda in 1962, which killed 183 people. But it can never let down its guard.
Hong Kong has experienced storms of another kind during the five years since the last No 10 warning, with civil unrest, a pandemic and political upheaval. Hopefully, as the winds of Saola pass, brighter skies and sunnier days lie ahead.
