Fierce Typhoon Causes Severe Flooding, Shuts Down Hong Kong Airport

Typhoon Mangkhut unleashed its wrath on Hong Kong and the neighboring gambling capital of Macau on Sunday, with hurricane force winds of 124 miles per hour and severe flooding that shut down Hong Kong’s airport for the day, according to a report from Reuters.

Normal operations resumed Monday after almost 1,000 flights were canceled or delayed and high-speed railways were suspended in the highly populated province of Guangdong, due to the storm. The typhoon first ravaged the Philippines a day earlier, leaving dozens dead. At press time, it was unclear if any deaths were reported in Hong Kong and Macau, but four people had reportedly been killed in Guangdong.

Macau, which suffered a super typhoon last year, wasn’t taking any chances, closing its casinos late on Saturday night in preparation for the storm. Casinos were up-and-running again early Monday, although authorities were still working to restore power to nearly 20,000 households.

The New York Times reported that meteorologists said the typhoon was equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, accelerating as it crossed the South China Sea, landing a nearly direct hit on Hong Kong midday Sunday. Residents had heeded the local weather authority’s signal 10 storm warning (its highest level), clearing the streets of people and cars.