In The Eye of The Storm: Typhoon Mangkhut

After a morning of fallen branches, flooded roads, smashed car windows and even more disastrous events, Typhoon Mangkhut seems to have left the Guangzhou area for the moment. While many believe the area is secure, cautions fill the internet, stating that the storm has not left southern China. Instead, we are in what is called “The Eye of The Storm.”

Typhoon Mangkhut, declared a super typhoon and the strongest storm of the year, was placed in category 5 with winds at 157 mph. When it hit Luzon Island of the Philippines on September 14, dozens were buried by landslides and many people died after refusing to evacuate. The catastrophic typhoon then moved to Macau, Hong Kong, and parts of South China including Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan. (News.com.au)

The Hong Kong Observatory marked the storm a T10, the highest warning signal, as many locals rushed to stock up on essentials, tape their windows to prevent the glass from breaking, and hurry indoors or to safe areas. With sufficient preparation for the typhoon, locals were ready when a 3.9 meter storm surge hit Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor. (CNN)  When Mangkhut crashed down on Macau, officials closed all their casinos for the safety of employees. (Bloomberg)

As half a million people were evacuated, Typhoon Mangkhut struck the Southern China’s densely populated Pearl River Delta. While the area remained in dangerous condition, the local government closed all schools, businesses, and activities on Sunday, September 16.( (MSN)

According to scientists, climate change has been the biggest affecting factor of Typhoon Mangkhut’s severity.

“It’s pretty crazy. There are lots of videos circulating online about buildings falling and people being literally blown away,” commented Isadora B., a freshman at AISG. “There was about twenty minutes in Dongguan where the rain went from a downpour to nearly stopping. When I thought the typhoon had moved away, the news said that Guangdong was in the eye of the storm. The worst of the typhoon hadn’t even arrived yet.”

For more information, please visit News.com.au, Edition.CNN.com, Bloomberg.com, and MSN.com