Over the weekend, Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into Hong Kong and southern China with a fury rarely seen. Gusts of wind of up to 250 kilometers per hour were recorded as trees were felled, vehicles flipped over, and windows shattered.
The Hong Kong Observatory has labeled Typhoon Mangkhut as the most intense storm to hit the city since records started to be kept in 1946, bringing with it the highest levels of storm surge since 1904.
Though the damage done by the storm has been called “serious and extensive,” there were no reported casualties in Hong Kong. This comes after at least 54 people are believed to have been killed by Mangkhut in the Philippines.
On the Chinese mainland, millions were evacuated from coastal regions as Mangkhut carved a trail of destruction to the north and west. So far, Chinese state media have reported that two people were killed by the storm in Guangdong province.
Meanwhile, in Taiwan, a 30-year-old female teacher was swept out to sea by a three-meter wave. Her body was recovered two days later.
Here are some of the most insane videos posted onto social media of the havoc wreaked by the storm:
— Paul Mozur (@paulmozur) September 16, 2018
Starting a thread of various videos today in HK and Shenzhen as the world’s strongest storm #TyphoonManghkut wiping our cities. (Videos are not mine but collected from messages doing the rounds w WhatsApp and WeChat) pic.twitter.com/FXU5ITrFqN
— Jen Zhu (@jenzhuscott) September 16, 2018
Someone’s apartment in the east side of HK pic.twitter.com/2LaVZm2RX1
— Jen Zhu (@jenzhuscott) September 16, 2018
High rise building swinging in #TyphoonManghkut #HK pic.twitter.com/H4P0GdL8sV
— Jen Zhu (@jenzhuscott) September 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/jasonyng/status/1041163991374999553
So many crazy typhoon #Manghkut videos going around. Amazing to see this in Hong Kong which usually weathers them quite well. Shudder to think that this might become the new normal. pic.twitter.com/TjiYhhbI0Q
— Paul Mozur (@paulmozur) September 16, 2018
— Paul Mozur (@paulmozur) September 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/Tang20163/status/1041183258761781248
Poor hotel staff pic.twitter.com/1Z5qVNPfAe
— Lulu Yilun Chen (@luluyilun) September 16, 2018
Shenzhen Meishawan Hotel #TyphoonManghkut pic.twitter.com/HYdyGDSyvr
— Jen Zhu (@jenzhuscott) September 16, 2018
Here are a few news video roundups:
And here’s a compilation of some more video clips circulating around WeChat at the moment:
