​Super Typhoon Ragasa brought hurricane-force winds to many parts of Hong Kong, causing flooding in coastal and low-lying areas due to overtopping waves and storm surges. The steering committee on handling extreme weather, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, with thorough preparation and comprehensive planning, swiftly co-ordinated with various relevant government departments to minimise the impact of the typhoon on the public. As Ragasa gradually moved away from Hong Kong later this morning, various government departments, while prioritising safety, promptly initiated comprehensive recovery efforts to restore normalcy as quickly as possible.
      
     Mr Chan visited this afternoon (September 24) a site in the Central and Western District affected by fallen trees and a landslide to inspect the clean-up and recovery progress by departments such as the Fire Services Department (FSD), the Highways Department (HyD), and the Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO). He then chaired a meeting of the steering committee on handling extreme weather to receive updates from the heads of relevant bureaux and departments and comprehensively review emergency response and recovery efforts of various government departments.
      
     Government departments are mobilising all necessary manpower and resources to expedite clearing obstacles from major roads and bus routes. According to current clean-up assessments by relevant departments, major roads and public transport are expected to reopen when the Hong Kong Observatory issues the Strong Wind Signal No. 3, allowing the city to resume normalcy.
      
     The Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre under the Security Bureau was fully activated more than 24 hours before the Hong Kong Observatory issued the No. 8 Gale or Storm Signal, ensuring the best priorities for emergency decision-making, striving to minimise the impact of the adverse weather on the public.
      
     The Development Bureau (DEVB) is maintaining close liaison with various works departments and the Buildings Department (BD) to deploy resources of contractors to expedite the progress of the recovery work.
      
*Regarding flooding, 19 flooding cases have been confirmed as of 5pm today. With the efforts of the Drainage Services Department (DSD)'s emergency response teams and the assistance of the mobile powerful pumping robots, 14 cases have been resolved. The DSD is currently addressing the remaining five flooding cases and is confident of resolving them within one to two hours. The DSD conducted analysis and made deployment in advance before the onset of the super typhoon and was equipped with mobile powerful pumping robots on standby, contributing to the swift handling of possible flooding cases during the passage of the super typhoon in Hong Kong. Once all flooding cases have been resolved, the DSD will conduct inspections and carry out clearance at about 240 flood-prone locations. Additionally, the DSD will examine the drainage conditions of 80 major rivers and drainage channels to ensure their smooth operation.
      
*Regarding the safety of structures, the Emergency Control Centre of the BD has received a total of 25 emergency reports related to signboards and scaffoldings at construction sites, 22 of which have been resolved. The BD proactively inspected construction sites next to major roads in advance to reduce incidents caused by the super typhoon as much as possible. After the typhoon, the BD has also launched special patrols to identify potential dangers arising from loosened or damaged signboards, scaffoldings, windows and appendages along major roads and in high-risk buildings in various districts.
      
*Regarding landslides, as of 5pm, the GEO received a total of four reports of landslides in Sai Ying Pun, Tuen Mun, Stanley and Chung Pui. Two incidents involved slope and retaining wall failures caused by fallen trees. The GEO has arranged for geotechnical engineers to assist relevant departments for follow-up work. The Emergency Control Centre of the GEO will remain in operation to handle reports of landslide incidents received until the threat is lifted.
      
*Regarding fallen trees, various relevant departments will expedite the handling of them. To enhance efficiency, the DEVB earlier identified some 50 plots of government land in various districts for the departments' temporary storage of fallen trees and debris in nearby areas before sending them to landfills for disposal. After the passage of the typhoon, tree management departments will inspect trees in areas with high pedestrian and vehicular flow and take appropriate measures, including stabilising trees, removing dangling broken branches, and removing fallen or unstable trees. In case of blockage of rural roads caused by fallen trees, members of the public may seek assistance through the 1823 Mobile App, by calling 1823 or sending an email to tellme@1823.gov.hk. Cases will be referred to relevant departments for follow-up as appropriate
      
     In addition, after typhoons and rainstorms, trees, slopes and the structures may also be affected due to a large intake of water into soil and surface layers. Members of the public should therefore remain vigilant when going outdoors and avoid prolonged stays under trees, slopes and structures with signs of concrete spalling.
      
     The FSD, by 5pm today, handled a total of 143 reports of people trapped in lifts, 454 reports from automatic fire alarm systems, 393 reports of fallen trees and two reports of landslides. Assistance was provided to 61 people to safe places in 16 flooding incidents. The FSD has co-ordinated with various departments, including the HyD and the Transport Department (TD), for rapid clearing of fallen trees blocking major roads, ensuring the smooth flow of main roads and rescue routes remain unobstructed. Relevant work will be carried out overnight.
      
     The Emergency Transport Coordination Centre (ETCC) of the TD has escalated its operational level and has been operating round the clock throughout the typhoon. It closely monitored traffic and transport conditions on major routes, including trunk roads, tunnels and bridges across the territory. The ETCC expedited assessment of the typhoon's impact on traffic with relevant departments and public transport operators, and steered operators to conduct site checks along their routes to ensure safe operations before gradually resuming normal services, such as railway and franchised buses. In addition, the TD conducted ongoing review of situations at various trunk roads and link roads at locations without alternative routes. This helped the prompt identification of locations affected by flooding or obstructed by objects requiring higher priority of clearance and co-ordination of clearance work of departments concerned, with a view to reopening blocked roads and fully resuming public transport services early.
      
     The Emergency Control Centres of the HyD were activated on the morning of September 22. Officers of the HyD, together with road maintenance contractors, have been closely monitoring the latest conditions of major public roads in real time and responding promptly to emergencies caused by the inclement weather. As of 5pm, the department received approximately 1 620 reports of road incidents, including around 1 050 cases of fallen trees, around 85 cases of flooding and six reports of landslides. The department commenced patrolling major roads at 1.20pm, and the work has already been completed. Nearly 200 emergency response teams under the department also stand ready for deployment. The teams have been mobilised to remove fallen trees and obstructions on roads, to clear debris-clogged roadside drains and channels, as well as to carry out emergency cordoning-off and urgent repair works for collapsed slopes under safe conditions. The HyD will continue to make every effort to clear the remaining fallen trees and other road obstructions to restore normal traffic as soon as possible after the typhoon. In addition, the 16 pedestrian subways along Shing Mun River in Sha Tin, Lam Tsuen River and Tai Po River in Tai Po, which were temporarily closed last night due to inclement weather and storm surge, have been reopened starting from 5pm.
      
     In view of the possible threats that Ragasa may pose to Hong Kong, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) and District Offices (DOs) had initiated relevant response measures in advance. They have co-ordinated with relevant departments and organisations to enhance preparedness, setting up sandbags and water-stop boards, among others. District Council (DC) members, members of "the three committees" and Care Teams were mobilised to disseminate the latest weather information to residents in flood-prone areas, reminding them to make necessary preparations. Residents in flood-prone areas were advised to stay away from their homes or stay at temporary shelters. All DOs opened temporary shelters in advance at 8am yesterday. During the tropical cyclone, a total of 50 temporary shelters were in operation with a total of about 900 residents, which is more than before. In addition, the HAD also activated a round-the-clock hotline in advance at noon on September 22 for public enquiries on the tropical cyclone and released information on the operation of temporary shelters through different channels continuously. The HAD's Emergency Co-ordination Centre began operation in the afternoon on the same day to co-ordinate work and information dissemination in 18 districts as well as promptly follow up on various incident reports.
      
     After the typhoon, DOs will continue to co-ordinate support from other departments and organisations, and mobilise DC members, members of "the three committees", and Care Teams to provide appropriate assistance. This includes helping affected households, particularly households of singleton and doubleton elderly persons affected by severe flooding, remove stagnant water and restore their homes. As the weather in Hong Kong remains unstable, the temporary shelters under the HAD will continue to open during the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 to serve citizens in need until the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 is cancelled. In addition, DOs will co-ordinate with relevant departments and organisations to carry out relief work in their districts, enabling the community to resume normalcy as soon as possible to facilitate citizens' commuting to work or school.
      
     To support government departments and the waste transfer sector in rapidly handling fallen trees and waste to restore normalcy as quickly as possible, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has been maintaining close communication with the industry during the past few days and implemented multiple measures. These include reserving sufficient temporary storage areas at the three landfills and Y·PARK for collecting and storing fallen tree waste, as well as preparing emergency sawing and wood-chipping equipment to facilitate rapid clean-up. Recyclable tree waste will be sorted out and sent to Y·PARK for recycling and reuse. Additionally, the EPD has allocated in advance manpower and machinery to ensure sufficient capacity at refuse transfer stations (RTS) and extended the operating hours of urban RTSs and the three landfills from today to September 26. Recovery works are now in full swing at the Island East Transfer Station which was affected by storm surge during the typhoon, with a view to resuming service at the soonest practicable time. The EPD will keep a close tab on the operation of waste handling facilities and flexibly redeploy resources to facilitate a swift return to normalcy.
      
     In advance of the typhoon's approach, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has conducted inspections and cleaning of roadside gullies at flooding blackspots to minimise the risk of blockage caused by refuse and fallen leaves. The FEHD has also secured or removed some facilities such as litter containers placed in open areas, and has reminded operators of on-street hawker stalls to implement appropriate typhoon precautionary measures. Following the passage of the typhoon, the FEHD will resume street cleaning and refuse collection services as soon as possible, including deploying departmental and contractor cleaning staff to expedite the removal of refuse from major thoroughfares.
      
     After the wind subsided, staff members of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) immediately inspected country parks for damage to facilities, fallen trees and road blockages. The AFCD also cleared fallen trees and arranged for repairs of damaged facilities to expedite the reopening of affected facilities for public use. As weather conditions remain unstable, there are still risks of flash floods, flooding, tree falls, and landslides in rural areas. The AFCD urges members of the public to refrain from outdoor activities.
      
     During the typhoon, frontline police officers remained steadfast in carrying out their duties, taking appropriate actions based on the situation. These included urging the public to stay away from shorelines and flood-prone areas, deploying personnel to handle high-risk areas such as unstable scaffolding and precarious windows, and evacuating residents from affected areas. Officers also closely monitored traffic conditions and eased the traffic by assisting vehicles trapped by flooding or blocked by fallen trees and other obstacles. Fallen trees and other debris on roads were promptly cleared to reopen blocked roads as soon as possible.
      
     The Housing Department (HD) Communication Centre was activated before the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 was hoisted to get fully prepared in handling emergencies. During the passage of the tropical cyclone, frontline staff of the HD remained dedicated to delivering their duties and took all necessary precautionary measures. In addition, the emergency response team of the HD's construction sites stepped up vigilance and maintained close contact and collaboration with relevant government departments to promptly respond to possible emergency situations during the typhoon. They also worked with project teams and contractors to clear debris from nearby drainage outlets to effectively reduce the accumulation of muddy water on the roads in the vicinity and swiftly remove the water barriers misplaced by the strong wind to minimise traffic disruption.
      
     The steering committee on handling extreme weather reminds the public that although the storm gradually moved away, the weather in Hong Kong remains unstable, and the public should continue to stay updated with the latest government announcements. The committee emphasises that staff from various government departments will continue to fulfil their duties, working together with various sectors to fully engage in community recovery efforts and provide appropriate support to those in need. Departmental personnel will continue to carry out relief work with contractors, enabling members of the public to resume a normal life as soon as possible.

Ends/Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Issued at HKT 23:45

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