Over 2M relocated as China battles super typhoon Ragasa

People look out of a window at a hotel in Yangjiang City, south China's Guangdong province, on Sept. 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

More than 2.16 million local residents had been relocated in south China's Guangdong province as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday in response to Typhoon Ragasa, which made landfall in the province at about 5 p.m.

Typhoon Ragasa, the 18th typhoon of this year, with maximum wind force near its center reaching 40 meters per second, churned ashore at Hailing Island in the city of Yangjiang in Guangdong, according to the provincial meteorological observatory.

Ragasa, the most powerful typhoon to hit China this year as forecasted by meteorologists, is moving westward at speeds of 20 to 25 kilometers per hour and its intensity is gradually weakening, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

China's national observatory on Wednesday renewed an orange alert -- the second-highest alert level in its four-tier weather warning system -- for Typhoon Ragasa.

From 8 p.m. Wednesday to 8 p.m. Thursday, parts of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Jiangsu are likely to see heavy rainstorms, with some areas in Guangdong, Guangxi and Jiangsu forecast to experience precipitation of up to 220 millimeters, the NMC said.

On Wednesday, central Chinese authorities earmarked 350 million yuan (about 49.2 million U.S. dollars) to support rescue and relief work in regions impacted by Typhoon Ragasa.

More than 2 million people were moved to safety in a remarkably short time, a feat made possible by local cadres who planned early and counted heads late into the night to ensure the smooth relocation.

In Yangjiang City, the landing site of Typhoon Ragasa, all 1,038 shelters across the city have been fully opened to the public.

Prior to the typhoon's arrival, Buchang Township of Yangjiang swiftly relocated villagers from coastal villages to safer areas.

On Tuesday afternoon, Fan Fei, a 60-year-old villager from Buchang's Shanwaixi Village, arrived at the shelter set up at a local primary school with his grandson.

"The village officials told us to come here for shelter. My house is close to the sea, and it's very dangerous during typhoons and heavy rains," Fan said. "We have water, canned food, boxed meals, and all the necessary supplies are well-provided here."

For 58-year-old Huang Xiang, a solitary resident of Shanwaixi Village, typhoon nights used to mean rattling windows and the fear of blackouts.

"I was scared staying alone. The wind shook every door and window," Huang recalled. This time, local cadres escorted him to an emergency shelter where meals and a bed were waiting.

"Our primary and most effective disaster prevention strategy is the evacuation of populations from danger zones," explained Yang Jianxiong, deputy head of the Yangjiang emergency management bureau.

As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, China Southern Power Grid's Guangdong branch maintained its highest level of emergency response for typhoon and flood prevention.

The main blackout areas are concentrated in coastal cities of Guangdong such as Jiangmen and Yangjiang. Some 60 percent of the users affected by power outages due to the typhoon have had their electricity restored.

The power supply to the Macao Special Administrative Region from the Chinese mainland remains safe and stable. A total of over 38,000 personnel, 8,900 vehicles, 239 emergency power generation vehicles, and 142 generators have been deployed, said the company.

In Guangdong, over 80,000 fishing boats are securely docked in the harbor to take shelter from the storm, and more than 12,000 maritime workers have evacuated to the shore.

All 53 "Ro-ro" (roll-on/roll-off) passenger ships across the Qiongzhou Strait have been led to south China's Hainan Province to avoid the impact of the typhoon.

To brace for the typhoon, railway authorities in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which is next on the storm's path, have announced that they will halt all bullet train services on three coastal rail lines on Thursday.

Maritime authorities in Guangxi have halted 20 passenger ferry services in coastal areas and ordered all 6,170 fishing boats in affected sea areas to return to port, bringing 26,074 people ashore.

Meanwhile, the city of Beihai in Guangxi has suspended classes, work, tourism, business operations and public transportation services.

In China's Taiwan, a barrier lake overflow triggered by heavy rains from Typhoon Ragasa has killed 17 people, injured 32 and left 17 missing as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to local authorities.