Hong Kong has seemingly escaped the worst of
Super Typhoon Ragasa, thanks to the mercy of nature and advance preparation by the authorities and the community that helped the city weather one of the strongest hurricanes in years. This close call underscores the unpredictable force of natural disasters and the need for continued preparedness for threats brought by extreme weather.
Raging at a maximum wind speed of 220km/h near its centre, the superstorm that came as close as 100km south of the city is the second to have triggered the highest No 10 signal this year. The impact could have been much more devastating had Ragasa landed a direct hit. Authorities have reported at least 698 incidents of fallen trees, one landslide and 16 cases of flooding. Social media was flooded with harrowing images of the havoc, including powerful waves slashing a
seaside hotel in Aberdeen and some restaurants in Tseung Kwan O.
No fewer than 82 people were injured. Despite safety warnings by the police, some people still flocked to the waterfront to catch a glimpse of the strong tidal waves. A woman and her five-year-old son were
swept into the sea in Chai Wan during signal No 8 on Tuesday afternoon. Her husband was also injured when he jumped into the sea to rescue them. The storm chasers’ reckless behaviour put themselves in danger and added to the burden of emergency service officers and medical professionals.
The authorities are to be commended for gearing up for the onslaught earlier than usual. The mitigation measures included clearing blockages at flood-prone sites and deploying powerful pumping robots to high-risk areas. Meanwhile, the public received clear alerts on the duration of typhoon signals well in advance. There was no traffic chaos as many workers were allowed to stay home the past two days. In a welcome change, some shops and eateries also gave notice that they would not stay open during the typhoon to spare their employees from work.
The government has learned some painful lessons in coping with the vagaries of typhoons and rainstorms in the past decade, especially in the wake of
Mangkhut in 2018, Hato in 2017 and the
record downpour in 2023. The public has also become more alert and responsive to warnings and advice, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of advance preparation.
But the force of nature must not be taken for granted, as reflected in the more severe casualties and damage caused by Ragasa elsewhere in the region. The government should review the experience and strive to further improve our preparedness as the city is likely to face more testing times ahead.
