Once again, Hong Kong survives another typhoon largely unscathed. This owes much not just to Tropical Storm Tapah’s weaker strength and farther off trajectory, but also the lessons in coping with the vagaries of typhoons and rainstorms over the years, some learned rather painfully. The relatively smooth experience this time will help the city’s preparedness for the onslaught of extreme weather.
The
swift return to normality – after almost 16 hours of a near standstill under typhoon signal No 8 – is not to be taken for granted. While
stock trading continued and people worked from home in the morning, the suspension of public transport, classes and non-essential work and services still disrupted city life, posing considerable economic and social costs.
Fortunately, there were fewer reports of flooding and injuries. As usual, some people were undeterred and ventured out, sticking to their daily routines or seeking excitement. But while the havoc wrought by Tapah was considerably less severe than that caused by
typhoons Saola in 2023 or
Mangkhut in 2018, the threat was still reflected in the collapsed scaffolding, fallen lamp posts and other damaged facilities. Some 100 flights were cancelled, with another 800 expected to be delayed. A HK Express flight from Beijing was suspected to have hit signage boards while taxiing on the runway. No injuries were reported.
The city’s chief secretary did not chair a high-level meeting on advance preparation and coordination across government departments this time, apparently because the typhoon was forecast to be less impactful. But the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre under the long-standing typhoon response mechanism was activated to monitor the situation.
More often than not, the government has come under fire for its responses as more extreme weather has hit in recent years. But the public reaction appears less critical this time, thanks to the early release of information and decisions by the authorities. For instance, the public was aware by Sunday afternoon that there would be
no classes the following day, while the advance alert that signal No 8 would stay in place until at least 11am – which was subsequently extended to 1.10pm – meant employees knew what to expect. The resumption of work after lunch helped to head off the usual post-typhoon traffic chaos.
There may well be more testing times ahead as extreme weather strikes more often. The relatively smooth experience in coping with Tapah is an example of how the city strives to stay prepared for challenges.
