Southern China's streets remained deserted on Wednesday as Typhoon Ragasa, one of the world's strongest storms this year, headed into the region after causing havoc in the Philippines and Taiwan.
At least 14 people were confirmed dead in Taiwan after floodwaters from a barrier lake surged into Guangfu township in Hualien County, Taiwanese media reported early Wednesday.
While in the Philippines, where the storm displaced thousands in the north of the country, three deaths were reported a day earlier.
Schools and flights were cancelled in the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau, where fierce winds woke residents during the night, and many businesses were closed.
Residents have been stockpiling food and other supplies, while businesses have taped their windows and lined sandbags along entryways.
The Hong Kong Observatory issued storm warning signal No. 10, the highest in its weather alert system, at 2:40 a.m. local time (2:40 p.m. ET Tuesday), an hour after it issued its second-highest warning signal, No. 9. Maximum sustained winds as high as 120 mph were recorded.
Ragasa, which means "scramble" in Tagalog, has brought heavy showers and major storm surge to the international financial hub, and members of the public were advised to stay away from the shoreline and low-lying areas.
By late morning, the storm was leaving Hong Kong, a city of 7.5 million, though hurricane-force winds persisted.
Hong Kong government officials said almost 800 people had sought refuge at dozens of temporary shelters.
As of 11 a.m. local time, there were 56 reports of injuries, 350 regarding fallen trees, one about a landslide and 12 of flooding.
Officials had said Ragasa could cause even more damage than Typhoon Hato in 2017 and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, which caused hundreds of millions of dollars in direct economic losses to the region.
Notably, scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as the world warms due to the effects of climate change.
