A severe storm occurred in China in August 2017. The hurricane left behind 16 dead, dozens of wounded and thousands of scared people who had to leave their homes.
The powerful typhoon Hato hit a gambling house in Macau and the nearby city of Hong Kong on August 23, but the next day continued its mortal move through China in Guangdong province in the south of the country.
Population protection measures
Chinese authorities have called for measures to be taken to protect against geographic disasters such as rock shifts, floods and landslides. This was reported by Xinhua State News Agency.
During a hurricane in China on August 23, 2017, rail service was suspended and fishing vessels returned to the harbor. Airlines canceled 450 flights, suburban transportation and river routes were also suspended.
Residents were warned of readiness for destructive winds, possible floods and landslides, and advised to stay away from low-lying areas, because storm surges could cause severe flooding.
After the hurricane in China stopped, up to 30 centimeters of rain was expected in parts of Guangdong and neighboring Guangxi.
In continental China, 8 people died, and eight more in Macau (in a gambling house, where, as the media showed, cars drowned under water, and people didn’t have to go down the streets but swim). Three men aged 30, 45 and 62 years died in a fall or accident due to heavy rain and gusty wind. Details of the other victims are unknown.
The former Portuguese colony was completely flooded when the storm reached a peak with the wind, which flew at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour.
The consequences of the hurricane in Macau
“Hato” deprived of electricity all of Macau, including in the famous casinos and hospitals, forcing the use of backup generators. Numerous institutions and organizations located throughout the city, because of this, could not start work the day after the hurricane.
Local residents posted photos on social networks, which depicted how they roam the muddy water that flooded the streets of the city.
Local authorities said that the day after the hurricane in China, many citizens were still deprived of water and electricity.
Hong Kong Hurricane Consequences
Officials said that a total of 273 people were injured in the disaster: 153 of them in Macau, and another 120 in Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, “Hato” led to the closure of some companies, government organizations, schools, and the stock market, turning normally noisy streets into frighteningly quiet ones.
Chinese media reported that 27 thousand people were evacuated to safe areas of China, while another 2 million people remained in areas affected by the hurricane.
Wu Zhifang, chief forecaster of the Guangdong Meteorological Center, noted that, compared to other typhoons, the Hato was gaining strength very quickly and caused unprecedented rainfall.
TDM, the state-owned broadcaster in Macau, said Typhoon Hato, having reached 10 points, has become China’s most powerful hurricane in 40 years.
The most severe storm that hit Hong Kong was Typhoon Wanda in 1962. Then gusts of wind reached a speed of 284 kilometers per hour, and a hurricane claimed the lives of 134 people.