Super Typhoon Causes Major Destruction in Asia

From September 17 to September 25, Super Typhoon Ragasa destroyed many parts of Asia before finally reaching a stop in Vietnam. Affected countries include the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.

On September 17, Ragasa started as a small weather system, but it quickly grew until it had hit category 5 strength, with wind speeds going up to 177 mph on September 21. On September 22, the storm reached the Northern Philippines, causing thousands of people to have to leave, and killing at least 10 people. Afterwards, the typhoon reached Taiwan, where it flooded lakes, killing 18 people, seven of whom still haven’t been found. It then landed in Hong Kong on September 4, flooding streets and causing a major shutdown. Later, the storm hit southern China, where its winds reached 150 mph, and caused a major flood, though no one died.

The low death toll was due to China’s updated disaster response. China has created over eight hundred temporary shelters in preparation, as well as checking trees, mountains, and underground passages for possible safety hazards. China has sought to improve its disaster preparation due to previous flooding and natural disasters, which have cost China over 400,000,000,000 yuan, equivalent to around 56,000,000,000 dollars. China has been getting better technology to prepare for any other natural disasters, and though the improvement is acknowledged, many say that China has more to do to prevent any serious damage. Lim Junli, a researcher at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said to My News, “In highly centralised and controlled systems, the risks of overlooking vulnerabilities on the ground and of failing to consider local needs may be equally high.” China learned its lesson.

Super typhoon Ragasa was extremely destructive, and the countries affected by it are still repairing the damage done.