Hong Kong Life Resumes After Super Typhoon Ragasa Hit

After being hit by the world's most powerful tropical cyclone, Typhoon Ragasa, Hong Kong has begun to return to normal life. After a 36-hour halt, flights from the international airport resumed on September 25, business centers went back to work, most transport services were restored, and schools partially reopened.

Ragasa, this year's most powerful typhoon, had paralyzed the city since the afternoon of September 23. Before reaching Hong Kong, it passed over the northern Philippines and Taiwan, where it claimed a total of 14 lives, and on September 24, it reached the southern Chinese city of Yangjiang.

More than 100 people were injured in the financial hub. Authorities had declared the highest warning level, 10, for most of that day. On September 25, the danger level was lowered to 3, but kindergartens and some schools remained closed as Ragasa, weakening to a tropical storm, continued to move away from the city.

On Wednesday, huge waves struck the eastern and southern coasts of Hong Kong, causing widespread flooding. Water currents burst into the Fullerton Hotel on the south of the island, shattering glass doors and flooding the lobby.

The Hong Kong Airport Authority reported that airlines began gradually resuming flights from 6 a.m. on Thursday, operating all three runways simultaneously. They expect the airport to be busy over the next two days, handling more than 1,000 flights per day.

Authorities announced they are urgently repairing collapsed roads, trying to clear more than 1,000 fallen trees, and responding to about 85 cases of flooding. Before the storm, authorities had distributed sandbags to residents in low-lying areas to protect their homes, and many had stocked up on essential goods, leaving supermarket shelves empty and causing a sharp rise in the price of fresh vegetables.