City, region gradually recover from the aftermath of the damaging storm, thanks to efforts in solidarity

Hong Kong’s disciplined services, civil servants, construction workers, and many more have been praised for their swift and professional response to the widespread disruptions caused by Super Typhoon Ragasa, helping the city navigate the crisis and move toward a quick recovery.

In a social media post, Security Secretary Chris Tang Ping-keung expressed his “heartfelt gratitude to all disciplined services and colleagues from the Security Bureau’s Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre for their tireless dedication, working overnight and responding swiftly to support multiple districts, ensuring that public safety endured the peak of the typhoon”.

READ MORE: HK races to fortify coast as Super Typhoon Ragasa nears

Tang said the government will continue cleanup and restoration work, and urged residents to closely follow the government’s latest updates, and stay united to overcome the storm’s aftermath.

The Hong Kong Observatory lowered its typhoon warning to a No 3 strong wind signal at 8:20 pm on Wednesday, as the authorities announced that post-typhoon recovery efforts were underway, including clearing obstacles on major roads and key bus routes.

The Airport Authority Hong Kong said more than 1,000 flights are scheduled for today, although it is likely to take two days to clear a travel backlog of around 140,000 passengers. Passengers are advised to confirm their flight status with airlines before heading to the airport.

Cathay Pacific Airways announced that flight arrivals and departures were scheduled to resume at 6 am today. HK Express expects its first outbound flight, to Clark International Airport in Pampanga province, the Philippines, to depart at 6:35 am, following the arrival of 13 flights by 6 am. Hong Kong Airlines reported that 104 of its flights were affected by the storm, while it aims to resume 70 flights starting from 6 am today.

READ MORE: HK airport to gradually resume operations from Thursday

MTR Corp said all rail lines resumed service Wednesday evening following hours of suspension, while its workers rushed to clear debris from tracks at some open sections and repair damaged facilities. High-speed railway services remained closed throughout the day.

Kowloon Motor Bus announced the resumption of services on over 80 routes at 9:20 pm, with some diverted or shortened because of fallen trees and flooding.

A real test

For the second time in two months, Hong Kong enacted its highest-level storm alert as Ragasa swept through. The powerful typhoon uprooted trees, set containers and barges adrift, and sent waves crashing into parks and shops.

As of 8 pm on Wednesday, 101 people — 59 males and 42 females — were reported injured and had received treatment at public hospitals.

There had also been more than 1,000 reports of fallen trees, 22 flooding, and four landslides, while about 900 people sought shelter at temporary centers set up by the government. Some of them were evacuated from their homes by the Fire Services Department.

The No 10 signal for Ragasa, issued at 2:40 am, lasted about 10 hours and 40 minutes, surpassing the duration of Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 and second only to the 11-hour record set by Typhoon York in 1999.

With Typhoon Wipha striking earlier in July, the count of two No 10 signals matches the 1964 record for the number of highest-level typhoon warnings issued within a single year.

Ragasa — described as the world’s strongest tropical storm so far this year — brought fierce winds and heavy showers to most parts of the city from the early hours of Wednesday, as it passed within 100 kilometers south of Hong Kong.

The storm surge pushed water levels up 1.5 meters across the territory, with the water levels at Victoria Harbour reaching 3.4 meters above chart datum, and at Tai Po Kau and Tsim Bei Tsui tide stations peaking at 3.8 meters above chart datum.

From midnight to 1 pm on Wednesday, most areas of Hong Kong recorded rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters, and in some areas above 200 mm. Storm-related showers and thunderstorms are expected to persist in the coming days.

The rapid deterioration in weather overnight left low-lying areas submerged. Viral social media footage showed seawater surging into the lobby of the Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel in the Southern District. The hotel’s management reported no injuries. Another video showed a barge set adrift by high winds, eventually coming ashore in Hung Hom.

Regional resumption

Macao, which also issued a No 10 signal early Wednesday morning, faced a significant threat from surging waters, particularly around the low-lying Inner Harbor area on the peninsula’s west coast. The Macau Electricity Co suspended power to parts of the area, with plans to restore it once weather conditions improve.

As of 4 pm, the storm surge at the low-lying areas had receded, and roads previously closed due to flooding were reopened. The city downgraded its warning signal to No 3 around midnight.

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At land borders, the Shenzhen Bay Port resumed passenger clearance services at 4:30 pm. Cross-boundary shuttle buses between the Huanggang checkpoint and San Tin Public Transport Interchange began running again at 8 pm.

In Macao, the Hengqin checkpoint for passengers and vehicles reopened at 5:30 pm, while the Gongbei and Qingmao land crossings restored services at 9 pm.

Contact the writers at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com