Super typhoon Ragasa slams southern China, Hong Kong, Taiwan; viral videos capture floods and destruction

In Hong Kong, the approach of Ragasa produced extraordinary skies. One widely shared clip showed a “towering cloud canopy” sweeping overhead, a stark visual of the typhoon’s size and force. Though the center of the storm has begun drifting away from the city, hurricane-force winds continue to batter Hong Kong. Schools and businesses were shut, train services suspended, and temporary shelters filled with hundreds of residents.

Another viral video captured a hotel lobby in Hong Kong being overwhelmed as waves smashed through its front doors, flooding the interior and sweeping away men before staff scrambled to clean up the debris. A separate clip showed a dramatic shelf cloud looming over Lamma Island, its dark canopy stretching across the horizon.

Watch the videos:

This happened at the Fullerton Hotel Ocean Park in Hong Kong a couple hours ago. I have never seen anything like this before.

I was up at 4 am taping my windows because water was just pouring in…

Ragasa is indeed a super Typhoon 🌀… pic.twitter.com/O59FJbGLsE

— Eric Yeung 👍🚀🌕 (@KingKong9888) September 24, 2025

Great example of #ShelfCloud off #Lamma Island #HongKong as #SuperTyphoonRagasa Approached last evening.

But was the Risk involved in getting this video worth ? #StaySafeHongKong. pic.twitter.com/f1PTpIbgkz

— #DRFOG (@therealDRFOG) September 23, 2025

In Taiwan, footage from Guangfu township documented torrents of muddy water tearing down a bridge and transforming streets into raging rivers, sweeping away cars and household belongings.

🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING: Major disaster unfolding in Guangfu Township, Hualien County in Taiwan.

The Mataian Creek landslide lake overflowed this afternoon, washing away the Mataian Bridge and flooding almost all of Guangfu Township.

Another peak is expected soon. Everyone must… pic.twitter.com/WXoDkCSSY0

— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) September 23, 2025

More videos:

WATCH: Storm surge from Typhoon #Ragasa in Tseung Kwan O, a neighborhood in Hong Kong, China enters a restaurant & completely wipes it out. pic.twitter.com/MGcXPDbdTm

— StormHQ ☈ (@StormHQwx) September 24, 2025

Heavy rain from Super Typhoon Ragasa burst a lake on the east coast of Taiwan, with the deluge breaking a bridge and causing flooding in surrounding villages pic.twitter.com/uOpJFPETi8

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 23, 2025

The typhoon has paralysed much of southern China. According to AP, schools, factories, and transit systems in at least 10 cities shut down, while winds ripped parts of a pedestrian bridge roof and uprooted trees. At least 13 people in Hong Kong and one person in Macao have been hospitalised. Hong Kong has raised its typhoon signal to 10, its highest level, urging “businesses and transport services to shut down,” Reuters reported.