As Super Typhoon Ragasa barreled across the northern Philippines and churned toward the southeastern coast of China, millions across Asia found their lives upended by one of the most powerful storms of 2025. With sustained winds reaching a staggering 215 kilometers per hour (134 mph) and gusts peaking at 295 kph (183 mph), Ragasa—known locally as Nando—left a trail of destruction, forced mass evacuations, and prompted widespread closures from Manila to Macao.
On September 22, 2025, Ragasa slammed into Panuitan island off Cagayan province in the northern Philippines, immediately triggering a wave of emergency measures. According to the Associated Press, more than 8,200 residents in Cagayan and 1,220 in Apayao were evacuated as authorities braced for life-threatening storm surges, with warnings of peak waves exceeding three meters (nearly 10 feet) in low-lying coastal areas. Power outages quickly followed, plunging Calayan island and the entire mountain province of Apayao into darkness as emergency crews scrambled to respond.
The Philippine government, recognizing the severity of the threat, shut down schools and government offices not just in the capital but across 29 provinces in the northern Luzon region. The country’s disaster-response agency reported that more than 17,500 people were ultimately displaced by flooding and landslides unleashed by Ragasa, the most powerful storm to hit the archipelago in 2025. Tragedy struck in the mountain town of Tuba, Benguet province, where a 74-year-old man died after being trapped in a vehicle buried by a mudslide. Two additional fatalities were confirmed in the northern region, including one in Calayan town, where the typhoon made its initial landfall.
Domestic flights in the affected provinces were suspended, and fishing boats and ferries were ordered to remain in port as seas turned perilous. The closures and restrictions underscored the urgency and gravity of the situation. As AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reported, “the northern Philippines is experiencing high winds as super typhoon Ragasa blows by.” The storm’s impact extended beyond immediate physical destruction, as it forced the cancellation of daily routines and left thousands seeking shelter in emergency centers.
Taiwan, too, felt Ragasa’s wrath as the storm skirted its southern counties. Local authorities ordered the closure of schools and offices in Taitung and Pingtung, and ferry services to outlying Orchid and Green islands were suspended, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. Over 7,000 people were evacuated, and more than 8,000 households were plunged into darkness by power outages. At least six people suffered injuries as the typhoon’s outer bands battered the island with wind and rain.
As Ragasa moved westward into the South China Sea, its threat loomed large over southeastern China. In Fujian province, officials suspended 50 ferry routes, while in the tech hub of Shenzhen, authorities prepared to relocate about 400,000 residents from flood-prone areas. Shenzhen airport announced it would halt all flights starting Tuesday night, September 23. China’s National Meteorological Center forecasted the typhoon would make landfall between Shenzhen city and Xuwen county in Guangdong province on Wednesday, September 24.
Hong Kong braced for the worst, issuing storm warning signal No. 8—the third-highest in the city’s weather alert system—on Tuesday afternoon. The Hong Kong Observatory recorded wind speeds of 84 mph near the ground, even while the typhoon’s center remained some 75 miles away. Authorities warned that water levels could rise by about 6.5 feet over coastal areas on Wednesday morning, with some locations potentially seeing surges as high as 13 to 16 feet above the typical lowest sea level. These projections drew comparisons to the devastation caused by Typhoon Hato in 2017 and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, which together inflicted billions of Hong Kong dollars in direct economic losses.
Flight disruptions mounted rapidly. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flagship carrier, announced more than 500 flight cancellations after 6 p.m. on September 23, with other airlines following suit. The airport authority anticipated that most operations would be affected on Wednesday. In neighboring Macao, the government evacuated residents and tourists, ordered the closure of bridges, and prepared for Ragasa to pass within 100 kilometers to the south of the casino hub. All schools in Hong Kong and Macao were closed for September 23 and 24, and sandbags were distributed to flood-prone neighborhoods.
The ripple effects of Ragasa’s approach reached deep into southern China. Cities such as Jiangmen, Yangjiang, Zhongshan, and Zhuhai in Guangdong province, along with Haikou in Hainan province, ordered the suspension of schools, offices, factories, and transportation. Authorities urged residents to stockpile emergency supplies, reinforce doors and windows, and evacuate underground areas as a precaution. Shenzhen’s Communist Party chief, Huang Kunming, called on departments across the region to “fully enter emergency state and war-ready state,” according to statements reported by the Associated Press.
Ordinary citizens responded with a mix of anxiety and resilience. In Hong Kong, some residents gathered on promenades to watch waves as high as 9.8 feet crash against the shore, capturing the drama on their phones before the weather worsened. Market vendors reported brisk business as people rushed to buy food and supplies, and many households taped windows and reinforced doors in anticipation of the typhoon’s arrival. “There is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge,” warned the Philippines’ weather agency, urging vigilance as the region faced the possibility of repeated landfalls and widespread flooding.
Despite the extensive preparations, Ragasa’s toll was already sobering. In the Philippines, the storm left at least three dead and five missing, with thousands displaced and entire communities cut off by floodwaters and landslides. In Taiwan, the injuries and evacuations underscored the vulnerability of island communities to extreme weather. In China, the full impact remained to be seen as authorities braced for what could be multiple landfalls along the densely populated coast.
As Ragasa continued its westward march, the storm served as a stark reminder of the growing intensity of tropical cyclones in the region and the critical importance of preparedness. With lives disrupted, economies threatened, and communities united in the face of adversity, the story of Super Typhoon Ragasa was still unfolding—its final chapter yet to be written.