As of Friday (Sept. 8), Hong Kong has experienced two natural disasters resulting in injured people, flooding, and landslides.
Rainfall, up to 19 inches in some areas, also stranded passengers in their vehicles. The rain comes days after the city experienced a weakened typhoon days ago, per CNN.
Record rainfall in Hong Kong yesterday flooded streets and caused more than 100 injuries. Around 6.2 inches of rain fell in just one hour between 11 p.m. and midnight. pic.twitter.com/ia57napqt8
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) September 8, 2023
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Typhoon Saola went from a super typhoon to a Category 2 hurricane upon approaching Hong Kong. Still, the natural occurrence caused injuries to a reported 86 people but also interrupted hundreds of flights.
Hong Kong after a typhoon and a week of heavy rains. pic.twitter.com/ae34jRgfPi
— Project TABS (@ProjectTabs) September 8, 2023
How The Rainfall Affected Hong Kong
NBC reports that Friday’s rainfall closed schools and businesses and kept the stock market from opening. Road travelers faced muddy road conditions and severe flooding. Parts of Southern China were also affected.
Videos circulating on social media capture harrowing scenes of water rushing through streets, subways, and businesses like shopping centers. Others showed behind-the-scene footage of flooding inside private residences.
Again, speechless…… #HongKong #ClimateEmergency #ClimateCrisis pic.twitter.com/y9ble9GJz1
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) September 8, 2023
No sleep tonight/ Spent the night swapping out buckets as torential rain hit #HongKong #oriele #JohnCena #ClimateCrisis #ClimateActionNow #ClimateEmergency #Lee #TyphoonSaola #HurricaneLee #Venezia80 #내사랑은내가지킨다 #V5LegacyOneEpicFinale #HongKongFloods #SenzoMeyiwaTrial pic.twitter.com/ZMPmv7xpvA
— Science Man (@Scienceworld09) September 8, 2023
In one hour, starting at 11 p.m. Thursday (local time), the Hong Kong Observatory says the city experienced “the highest recording for a single hour since records began in 1884,” per the Associated Press.
Jeeze! Quarry Bay Tung Hui Shopping Center in Hong Kong yesterday 👀🌊#ClimateActionNow #HongKong pic.twitter.com/kzCaEoiF4G
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) September 8, 2023
The downpour reportedly started on Thursday night. In the aftermath, NBC reported over 100 injured and two deceased in the floodwaters in different parts of Hong Kong.
According to AP, Beijing expects heavy rainfall through Saturday night. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s governing officials are receiving critical commentary regarding their preparedness for the natural disaster.
The city’s number two-in-charge, Eric Chan, said the predictability between rainfall and typhoon cannot be compared.
Facing public anger over Hong Kong’s unpreparedness for the sheer impact of the record-breaking downpours leaving citywide devastations, the city’s leader showed up 19 hours later and left without taking English questions. pic.twitter.com/TynAMOs7me
— Oscar Liu (@imoscarliu) September 8, 2023
