Thousands of residents were evacuated from northern Philippine villages as Super Typhoon Ragasa—one of the strongest storms of the year—approached the region. Schools and government offices were shut down across the archipelago and neighboring Taiwan amid warnings of flooding, landslides, and life-threatening storm surges.
According to Philippine forecasters, Ragasa sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (134 mph) with gusts reaching 265 kph (165 mph). The typhoon was centered east of Calayan Island off Cagayan province and moving west at 20 kph (12 mph). It may pass close to or make landfall over Cagayan’s Babuyan Islands by midday or early afternoon Monday.
High-Risk Storm Surge and Power Outages
The Philippines’ weather agency issued a severe warning for coastal inundation, saying peak storm surges could exceed 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) in low-lying areas of Cagayan, Batanes, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur within 24 hours.
Power outages have already hit Calayan Island and the entire northern mountain province of Apayao, disaster-response officials said. Despite the dangerous conditions, there were no immediate reports of casualties or further damage from Ragasa, locally called Nando.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended government work and classes across 29 northern provinces and the capital region on Monday. More than 8,200 people have evacuated to safety in Cagayan, while 1,220 others sought refuge in emergency shelters in flood- and landslide-prone Apayao.
Domestic flights were suspended, and fishing boats and inter-island ferries were prohibited from leaving ports due to dangerously rough seas. Ragasa marks the 14th weather disturbance to strike the Philippines in 2024, coinciding with an ongoing corruption probe into alleged kickbacks from non-existent or substandard flood control projects.
Impact on Taiwan and Southern China
Taiwan’s southern Taitung and Pingtung counties ordered closures in some coastal and mountainous areas, including the Orchid and Green islands, as Ragasa approached.
In China, the southern city of Shenzhen announced plans to evacuate 400,000 people, including those in low-lying and coastal areas. “The city plans to relocate and resettle approximately 400,000 people, including those residing in temporary shelters,” Shenzhen’s Emergency Management Bureau posted on WeChat Sunday evening.
The typhoon is forecast to bring torrential rains and heavy winds to China’s mainland coastal areas starting Tuesday. Cities in Guangdong province, including Jiangmen, Yangjiang, Zhongshan, and Zhuhai, have ordered the suspension of schools, offices, factories, and public transportation. Authorities also urged residents to stockpile emergency supplies and reinforce doors, windows, and underground areas.
Super Typhoon Ragasa is expected to remain over the South China Sea into Wednesday while passing south of Taiwan and Hong Kong before potentially making multiple landfalls in Guangdong. Authorities across the region are stepping up disaster-preparedness measures, including the provision of extra sandbags in flood-prone Hong Kong neighborhoods and urging Macao residents in low-lying areas to prepare for possible evacuation.
