Typhoon Ragasa Wreaks Havoc: Overwhelming Death Toll and Destruction Across Taiwan, Philippines, and Southern China

In China’s Shenzhen, Typhoon Ragasa, one of the most powerful in recent years, battered coastlines with waves towering above lampposts on Wednesday. The storm followed a destructive path through Taiwan and the Philippines, resulting in numerous casualties.

In Taiwan, 14 lives were lost due to flooding in a single township, while 10 deaths were reported in the Philippines.

Over 1.9 million residents across Guangdong province were evacuated as the typhoon approached. A weather station in Chuandao town recorded winds of up to 241 kph (approximately 150 mph) at noon, marking a new high for Jiangmen city since records began. Zhuhai city’s coastline was subjected to fierce waves and intense rain, causing fallen branches to litter the streets.

The national weather agency predicted that Ragasa, once a super typhoon, would make landfall between Yangjiang and Zhanjiang cities in the evening. Schools, factories, and transportation services were suspended in over a dozen cities in preparation for the severe storm.

Residents of Hong Kong were awakened early by the powerful winds brought by Ragasa. Social media was filled with accounts of kitchen ventilation fans being blown down and cranes swaying violently.

Strong gusts caused parts of a pedestrian bridge’s roof to collapse, hundreds of trees to fall across the city, and a vessel to crash into the shore, shattering glass railings along the waterfront. Flooding occurred in areas around rivers and promenades, including cycling lanes and playgrounds, causing chaos at several restaurant venues. Over 60 injured individuals were treated in hospitals.

A viral video showed waves crashing through the doors of a hotel in Hong Kong, flooding the interior. The hotel has yet to comment on the incident, but staff could be seen cleaning up the lobby, with parts of the exterior damaged.

Hong Kong and Macao, a nearby gambling hub, closed schools and canceled flights, with many shops shuttered. Hundreds of people sought refuge in temporary shelters in each city. Streets in Macao turned into rivers with various debris floating on the water. Rescue crews used inflatable boats to save those trapped in flooded areas. The local electricity supplier temporarily suspended power supply in some flooded, low-lying regions for safety reasons.

As winds weakened in the afternoon, cities distant from the expected landfall location began preparing to restore normal operations.

According to Hong Kong’s observatory, Ragasa had sustained winds near its center of approximately 195 kph (120 mph) and passed about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the financial hub. The city classifies cyclones with winds of 185 kph or stronger as super typhoons, urging residents to be extra vigilant about intense storms.

The observatory declared Ragasa the strongest tropical cyclone in the northwestern Pacific and South China Sea region this year. Preliminary analysis suggested it also ranked as the second-strongest one in the South China Sea region since record-keeping began in 1950, tying with typhoons Saola in 2023 and Yagi in 2024.

Ragasa caused death and damage in Taiwan and the Philippines before its path deviated between them.

In Taiwan, heavy rain resulted in a barrier lake in Hualien County overflowing on Tuesday, causing muddy torrents to destroy a bridge. This turned roads in Guangfu township into raging rivers that carried away vehicles and furniture. More than half of the township’s 8,450 residents sought safety on higher floors of their homes or on higher ground. Local authorities reported 14 deaths and were unable to contact 124 others in the township. Taiwan’s Central News Agency stated that rescuers were conducting door-to-door checks on these residents.

Separately, 34 injuries were reported across self-ruled Taiwan.

At least 10 deaths were reported in the Philippines, including seven fishermen who drowned after their boat capsized due to rough seas and strong winds off Santa Ana town in northern Cagayan province on Monday. Five other fishermen are still missing, according to provincial officials.

Nearly 700,000 people were affected by the storm in the main northern Philippine region of Luzon, with 25,000 fleeing to government emergency shelters.