Fierce winds, walls of rain and towering waves — Super Typhoon Ragasa slammed Hong Kong on Wednesday.
It then churned toward southern China, leaving a deadly trail across East Asia.
In Taiwan, a decades-old lake barrier burst under the storm’s weight, killing at least 17 people.
In Hong Kong, glass doors at a luxury hotel shattered as storm surge poured through its lobby.
Streets flooded, trees toppled and the city’s tallest towers swayed.
“This one was forecast to be quite bad,” said 27-year-old chef Benjamin Phizacklea.
“We were expecting chaos … but things still seem to be functioning.”
Families Fight Rising Waters
Officials raised the highest typhoon warning as Ragasa pushed waters more than three metres above normal levels.
More than 760 people sought refuge in emergency shelters, flights were grounded and train lines shut down.
A five-year-old boy and his mother were pulled from the sea in critical condition after being swept off a coastal promenade.
Across southern China, cities ordered evacuations and businesses shuttered as waves pounded the coast.
Scientists warn storms like Ragasa are growing stronger as oceans warm.
Residents stacked sandbags, stocked food and braced for impact.
Proof that even in some of the world’s most prepared cities, nature still calls the shots.
