Typhoon Ragasa, one of the fiercest storms to strike Asia in recent memory, tore through Hong Kong and southern China on September 24, 2025, after leaving a deadly trail in Taiwan and the Philippines. The storm, which battered coastal cities with record-shattering winds and torrential rains, has left millions reeling from its impact, with authorities across the region scrambling to recover and rebuild.
In the days leading up to Ragasa’s landfall in China, the typhoon had already unleashed devastation on neighboring countries. According to the Associated Press, Taiwan suffered the loss of at least 14 lives after a barrier lake in Hualien County burst its banks, sending torrents of muddy water through the town of Guangfu. The Taiwanese fire department initially reported 17 deaths but later revised the figure to 14, noting that some casualties had been counted twice. The search for survivors continued, with 33 people still unaccounted for as of Wednesday morning. The flooding in Guangfu was so severe that roads turned into rivers, sweeping away vehicles and furniture, and forcing over half of the town’s 8,450 residents to seek safety on higher ground or the upper floors of their homes. Across Taiwan, 32 people were reported injured, and the government launched a door-to-door operation to check on residents still out of contact.
The northern Philippines fared no better. BBC News reported that at least 11 people died, including seven fishermen whose boat capsized amid towering waves and fierce winds off Santa Ana town in Cagayan province on September 22. Five other fishermen remain missing. Nearly 700,000 Filipinos were affected by Ragasa’s onslaught, with 25,000 seeking shelter in government-run evacuation centers as floods and landslides swept through communities.
But the worst was yet to come for southern China. As Ragasa approached, the coastal city of Jiangmen in Guangdong province braced for impact. At noon on September 24, the city’s weather station recorded wind gusts of 241 kilometers per hour (about 150 mph) in Taishan county—a record high that eclipsed the previous mark set during Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. The city government declared, "Jiangmen has entered the most crucial and tense phase of its typhoon response," underscoring the gravity of the situation (BBC).
State broadcaster CCTV confirmed that Ragasa made landfall along the coast of Hailing Island in Yangjiang city at about 5 p.m., packing maximum winds near the center of 144 kph (89 mph). The storm’s might was evident as violent winds battered trees and buildings, and torrential rain reduced visibility to just a few meters. More than 2 million people across Guangdong province were relocated in anticipation of the typhoon’s arrival, as reported by China’s Xinhua news agency. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management quickly allocated 150 million yuan (about £16 million) in disaster-relief funds to support rescue and recovery efforts in Guangdong, Hainan, and Fujian provinces (The Independent).
Hong Kong, meanwhile, found itself in the crosshairs of Ragasa’s fury. The city’s observatory reported maximum sustained winds near the center of about 195 kph (120 mph), with the storm skirting just 100 kilometers (62 miles) to the south. Ragasa’s powerful gusts—classified as a "super typhoon" by Hong Kong standards—woke residents in the early hours, sending them online to share scenes of chaos: kitchen ventilation fans ripped from walls, cranes swaying precariously, and a pedestrian bridge roof torn away. Hundreds of trees were knocked down, and a vessel crashed into the shore, shattering glass railings along the waterfront. Floodwaters surged over promenades, cycling lanes, and playgrounds, while a viral video showed waves crashing through the doors of a hotel, flooding its interiors. The hotel later assured the public on Facebook that all guests and staff were safe, despite the "dramatic entrance" made by the typhoon.
Across Hong Kong, 90 people were treated for injuries at hospitals. Schools, factories, and transportation services were suspended in about a dozen cities, and hundreds of residents sought refuge in temporary centers. Macao, the nearby casino hub, faced similar challenges: streets turned to streams filled with floating debris, and the local electricity supplier suspended power in some low-lying areas for safety. Rescue crews deployed inflatable boats to reach those trapped by rising waters. As the winds eased, some residents even waded into flooded streets to catch fish—a surreal scene amid the destruction.
Despite the chaos, the region’s infrastructure showed resilience. The Hong Kong stock market, for instance, remained open during the storm—a testament to lessons learned from previous typhoons like Hato and Mangkhut, which had caused billions in damage in recent years. Chim Lee, an energy and climate change specialist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, told The Independent, "The Pearl River Delta is one of the best-prepared regions for typhoons, so we’re not expecting major disruptions. One change this year is that the Hong Kong stock market has stayed open during typhoons—a sign of how resilient the infrastructure has become."
After making landfall in southern China, Ragasa began to weaken, downgrading to a tropical storm as it pushed west across the region. Nevertheless, the storm left a path of destruction in its wake. In Yangjiang alone, more than 50,000 trees were destroyed, and over 56,000 homes lost power by Wednesday night. Streets were submerged, and crews used excavators to clear debris. In Zhuhai, inflatable boats were used to rescue stranded residents. The Independent reported that train services in neighboring Guangxi province were suspended, and schools and factories across southern China remained closed, though some began preparing to reopen as conditions improved.
Vietnam, now in Ragasa’s path, is bracing for potential floods and heavy rainfall. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has ordered ministries and local authorities to secure key infrastructure, prepare evacuation plans, and ensure the safety of fishing vessels. Flights have been canceled or rescheduled, and workers are trimming trees to reduce wind hazards. Forecasters expect Ragasa—now with sustained winds of about 65 kph—to continue weakening, but warn that it will remain a rain threat across Southeast Asia.
Preliminary analysis by the Hong Kong Observatory suggests that Ragasa is the strongest tropical cyclone in the northwestern Pacific and South China Sea region so far this year, and ties as the second-strongest in the South China Sea since record-keeping began in 1950. Its impacts have been felt across multiple countries, with dozens dead, thousands injured, and millions displaced.
As the region begins to recover, the scale of the disaster is still coming into focus. But if there’s one thing clear from this latest super typhoon, it’s that Asia’s coastal cities remain on the frontlines of an increasingly volatile climate, forced to adapt and respond with every new storm that barrels ashore.