MANILA, Sept 22 — As Super Typhoon Ragasa barrels across the northern tip of the Philippines, the country’s top leadership has sprung into action. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has placed the entire disaster response machinery on full alert, ordering all government agencies to coordinate, prepare, and protect lives in what could be one of the strongest storms to threaten the region this year.
With sustained winds reaching 215 kph and terrifying gusts hitting up to 295 kph, Ragasa has grown even more powerful as it brushes past Babuyan Island. It’s now charting a dangerous course toward Calayan Island, where authorities fear storm surges of over 3 meters could devastate low-lying communities.
The northern Babuyan Islands remain under the highest storm warning. Residents have been told in no uncertain terms: stay indoors, avoid coastal zones, and move to higher ground if needed. Social media and disaster response agencies have begun circulating videos of Cagayan province, where relentless rain, fierce winds, and towering waves are already tearing through trees and pounding homes.
To keep people safe, the government suspended classes and work across Metro Manila and large parts of Luzon. Authorities are warning of widespread power outages, flooding, landslides, and dangerous seas as outer rainbands continue to sweep across the region.
Meanwhile, more than 24 domestic flights have been cancelled, ferry operations suspended, and disaster alerts activated throughout East and Southeast Asia.
In Taiwan, while the storm won’t make landfall, it’s bringing intense rain to the island’s eastern coastline. Already, 146 flights are grounded, and over 900 people have been evacuated from vulnerable mountain regions.
Vietnam is bracing for potential landfall later this week, with the defence ministry mobilising troops. In southern China, flood control measures are underway, and Hong Kong has announced a 36-hour airport shutdown, with schools closing and evacuations prepared in Macau and Zhuhai.
Back in Hong Kong, panic buying has started. Supermarkets are seeing empty shelves, skyrocketing vegetable prices, and long queues of anxious residents stocking up on essentials like milk and bottled water.
