The strongest storm on the planet so far this year has paralyzed a part of Southeast Asia and southern China in the last few hours.
The Super Typhoon Ragasa, carrying winds of over 267 km/h, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, first hit the Philippines on Tuesday, leaving three dead and at least five missing in its wake. Then, during the early hours, the destructive winds and torrential rains reached Taiwan, where 14 people died and more than 150 are missing
The storm overflowed a mountain lake, causing a torrent of water that carried mud and debris, flooding Taiwan's Hualien County, submerging the streets of Gangfu municipality underwater. Most of the victims and missing persons have been reported there. "It was like being inside a disaster movie. The muddy waters quickly flooded my house," explains a county resident to local media.
In southern China, they have been preparing for the typhoon's arrival, dubbed by the Chinese Meteorological Administration as the "king of storms." It is the most powerful typhoon to hit the region in the last five years.
Activity in the megacities of Guangdong, one of the most densely populated regions in the world (home to nearly 130 million people), has come to a halt amid warnings of imminent floods, cyclonic surges of up to five meters, and landslides.
More than two million people have been evacuated (with over 400,000 residents relocated to safe shelters in the modern city of Shenzhen alone), public transportation has been suspended, hundreds of flights were canceled, and schools will remain closed.
In recent hours, images that had not been seen since the pandemic have gone viral on social media: thousands of residents emptying supermarkets, stocking up on food and basic supplies in several cities in Guangdong and Hong Kong.
In the former British colony, where the typhoon alert was raised to level 10, the highest, multiple floods in buildings and hotels, and fallen trees have already been reported. Several videos show huge waves hitting areas along the east and south coasts of the city.
Many merchants closed their businesses on Tuesday night, sealing glass doors and windows with tape and stacking sandbags in various areas to prevent flooding. At Hong Kong International Airport, more than 500 flights were canceled. It is forecasted that the water level will rise to about two meters above the coastal areas of the Asian financial center on Wednesday.
September is usually the month with the highest tropical storm activity in the region, but experts warn that these storms are becoming more unpredictable and extreme. Global ocean temperatures, exacerbated by global warming, have reached record levels over the past eight years, leading to intensified storms.