Typhoon Ragasa hits China hard with 2 million evacuees,14 deaths in Taiwan

China has relocated approximately 1.89 million people from Guangdong province as Super Typhoon Ragasa, the world's strongest storm of 2025, approaches the southern coast with catastrophic potential.

The Category 5-equivalent typhoon has already claimed at least 14 lives in Taiwan after triggering a devastating barrier lake collapse described by geologists as a tsunami from the mountains.

The massive evacuation comes as Guangdong authorities warn of extreme vulnerability in areas still saturated from Typhoon Mitag just days earlier.

The provincial government announced: "The risk and potential harm of the disaster will significanty increase, making the difference situation extremely severe and urgent."

Ragasa generated massive waves in Hong Kong that flooded hotels and submerged roads, prompting the city to issue its highest typhoon warning before downgrading to level 8 as the strom's eye passed south of the territory.

The international airport, schools, and financial markets remained closed throughout the emergency.

The typhoon's impact was particularly devastating in Taiwan's Hualien County, where heavy rains caused a barrier lake, formed by a landslide during July's Typhoon Wipha, to burst its banks.

Floodwaters swept through communities with terrifying speed, with 129 people reported missing and many residents caught off guard despite evacuation warnings.

Chinese meteorological authorities issued their highest red wave warning, forecasting storm surges of up to 2.8 meters in parts of Guangdong province as Ragasa charges toward the densely populated Pearl River Delta region.

Police in southern Chinese cities patrolled streets with megaphones, urging residents to remain indoors amid flying debris and intensifying winds.