Hong Kong's weather authorities had raised the hurricane signal to the highest level for the first time in five years.
Residents waded in waist-high murky water and rows of city buses sat half-submerged on city streets (Photo: AP)- Typhoon Hato roared into the area Wednesday with winds of up to 160 kilometers (99 miles) per hour. It weakened into a tropical storm Thursday as it moved farther west inland.
- Almost 27,000 people were evacuated to emergency shelters, while extensive damage to farmland due to the heavy rain and high tides was also reported.
- Hato's fierce gales blew out windows on skyscrapers in the Asian financial capital, raining shattered glass onto the eerily quiet streets below.
- Residents waded in waist-high murky water and rows of city buses sat half-submerged on city streets.
- People were just swimming, they cried for help. There were no boats. The water came so suddenly,\" said Coutinho.
- \"It's a calamity, the losses are high and a lot of buildings need repair,\" said Macau lawmaker Jose Pereira Coutinho.
- At least 153 were injured amid extensive flooding, power outages, and the smashing of doors and windows by the high winds and driving rain.
- A sudden deluge swamped the gambling hub of Macau, submerging streets and stranding residents.
The most powerful typhoon to hit the southern Chinese region in more than half a century left at least 12 dead.
Hong Kong's weather authorities had raised the hurricane signal to the highest level for the first time in five years.
Next Story
