Typhoon Ragasa batters Hong Kong and southern China after causing deaths in Taiwan and Philippines

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HONG KONG (AP) — Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest in years, whipped waves taller than lampposts onto Hong Kong promenades and halted life on the southern Chinese coast early Wednesday after leaving deadly destruction in Taiwan and the Philippines.

In Taiwan, 14 people died in a flooded township, and four deaths were reported in the Philippines.

The fierce winds woke Hong Kong residents in the early hours, and many went online to describe scenes like a kitchen ventilation fan being blown down and a crane swaying.

Strong winds blew away parts of a pedestrian bridge’s roof and knocked down hundreds of trees across the city. Some vessels crashed into the shore, shattering a row of glass railings along the waterfront. Areas around some rivers and promenades were flooded, including cycling lanes and playgrounds. At a promenade restaurant, furniture was scattered chaotically by the winds. Over 30 injured people were treated at hospitals.

A video that showed waves of water crashing through the doors of a hotel and flooding its interiors went viral in the financial hub. The hotel has not immediately commented on the incident. But staff were seen cleaning up the lobby, with parts of its exterior damaged.

Nearly 1.9 million people were relocated across Guangdong province, the southern Chinese economic powerhouse. The national weather agency forecast the super typhoon would make landfall between the cities of Yangjiang and Zhanjiang in the evening. Schools, factories and transit services were suspended in about a dozen cities.

Hong Kong and Macao, a nearby casino hub, canceled schools and flights, with many shops closed. Hundreds of people sought refuge in temporary centers in each city. Streets in Macao turned into streams with various debris floating on the water. The gambling city's local electricity supplier suspended its power supply in some flooded, low-lying areas for safety.

Hong Kong’s observatory said Ragasa, with maximum sustained winds near the center of about 195 kph (120 mph), skirted around 100 kilometers (62 miles) to the south of the financial hub. It was forecast to continuing moving west or west-northwest at about 22 kph (about 14 mph).

The city categorizes cyclones with sustained winds 185 kph or stronger as super typhoons to make residents extra vigilant about intense storms.

The government previously said the rise in water levels could be similar to those recorded during Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 — estimated to have caused the city direct economic losses worth 4.6 billion Hong Kong dollars ($592 million).

Ragasa earlier caused deaths and damage in Taiwan and the Philippines after the typhoon took a path between them.

In Taiwan, heavy rain caused a barrier lake in Hualien County to overflow Tuesday and torrents of muddy water destroyed a bridge, turning roads in Guangfu township into churning rivers that carried vehicles and furniture away. Guangfu has about 8,450 people, more than half of whom sought safety on higher floors of their homes or on higher ground. Local authorities said 14 people died and contact was lost with 124 others in the township. Taiwan's Central News Agency said rescuers were going door-to-door to check on these residents.

Separately, 34 people were injured across the self-ruled island.

At least four deaths, including an elderly man who was pinned in a rockslide, were reported in the Philippines. Nearly 700,000 people were affected by the onslaught in the main northern Philippine region of Luzon, including 25,000 people who who fled to government emergency shelters.

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Associated Press journalists Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, and Johnson Lai in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.