Typhoon Ragasa has made landfall in southern China, prompting the evacuation of nearly two million people in preparation for its arrival. This follows reports that at least 17 people have died and more are missing in Taiwan after a lake burst on Tuesday, causing severe flooding in the island's eastern region.
Ragasa has been downgraded from a super typhoon to a severe typhoon, but it remains highly destructive, with top winds of 241 km/h (150 mph) recorded in Taishan County, located in the southeastern Guangdong province of China. The storm is equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane and is noted as the world's strongest storm this year, having traversed the South China Sea for several days.
As the storm approached, 90 people were injured in Hong Kong when Ragasa skirted its coastline, according to the hospital authority. The typhoon made landfall on Hailing Island, near Yangjiang City in Guangdong, at around 17:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Wednesday, as reported by Chinese state media. It crossed the mainland with sustained winds of 144 km/h and higher gusts. While wind speeds are expected to gradually weaken as the storm moves westward over land, torrential rain is anticipated to continue across the region for the next several days.
The southern Chinese cities of Zhuhai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou—situated in Guangdong—have been put on alert for seawater intrusion since midday local time. In Zhuhai, police have been patrolling the streets with sirens and megaphones, advising residents to stay indoors. Additionally, red alerts have been issued in the mountainous regions of Guangdong province due to the risk of landslides.
Meanwhile, Taiwan is still grappling with the destruction caused by Ragasa, which officials have described as "far worse than anticipated." Premier Cho Jung-Tai has called for an inquiry into the evacuation procedures following the deaths and missing persons resulting from a barrier lake, formed by a landslide in July, bursting its banks in Hualien County. Severe flooding occurred in the town of Guangfu, where many residents remain unaccounted for. “We must investigate why evacuation orders were not carried out in the areas we had requested, which led to such a tragedy," Cho stated. "This is not about assigning blame but about uncovering the truth."
Earlier on Wednesday, the village chief of Dama Township in Taiwan, which has a population of about 1,000, reported that the entire village had been flooded and many residents were stranded due to the breach of the Matai'an Creek barrier lake. "It's chaotic now," Wang Tse-an told Reuters. "There are mud and rocks everywhere. Some flooding has subsided, but some remains."
Some geologists have likened the breach to a "tsunami from the mountains," as an estimated 15.4 million tonnes of water—equivalent to 6,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools—were released when the dam burst. The flooding washed away several key bridges, submerged vehicles, and left the ground floors of homes underwater. Many residents found themselves trapped on upper floors, waiting for rescue. Although floodwaters have receded in the city, thick mud and debris still linger, prompting search teams to go door-to-door in hopes of locating the missing.
"I'm still in shock. I just can't imagine how this could have happened. This is one of the busiest areas in Hualien, and the streets are lined with shops. We frequent these places, but everything was destroyed yesterday," said Awa, a 42-year-old who operates a bookstore with her husband in Guangfu Township. The couple spent the night at an evacuation center. Hualien is home to many indigenous tribes, and they belong to the Amis community. The government has established a front-line disaster response center in Hualien, and the Ministry of National Defense has deployed troops to assist with rescue efforts.
Typhoon Ragasa has also disrupted life in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Although the typhoon did not make landfall in Hong Kong, the hospital authority reported that 90 people were injured as it skirted the coastline, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain. The Hong Kong Observatory issued a level 10 warning for the storm—its highest alert—and urged residents to stay inside. Flights were grounded, and schools and some businesses closed, although flights were expected to resume by midnight on Thursday, as stated by the airport authority.
Earlier in the week, Ragasa affected the remote northern islands of the Philippines, leading to flooded towns, thousands displaced, and at least eight fatalities.
Packing winds of 260 km/h (162 mph) at its peak on Monday, Ragasa is recognized as the most powerful storm the world has seen this year. The China Meteorological Administration has referred to it as the "King of Storms." It is anticipated to cause more destruction than other typhoons that have previously made landfall in Guangdong province this year.