A History of Typhoons in Hong Kong

[Randy W]

This should be of interest, especially to those of us from the Gulf and South Atlantic coasts in the U.S.

 

The Chinese mainland is pretty well protected by mountains, which both shelter cities from the wind and cause a drag on the typhoon. Yulin, as I understand it, has never seen hurricane-force winds, although I am fairly certain they've passed over us. That is, I've seen effects of hurricane winds in the mountains around Yulin after a typhoon passed overhead (and have posted some pictures from Nanning), but nothing down here where we are.

 

There were major storms, covered by the SCMP, inflicting severe damage on Hong Kong in 1937, 1962, 1971, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1999, and 2012.

 

 

In the eye of the Storm

 

Typhoons in Hong Kong

 

 

 

Some quotes and images from the article

 

http://multimedia.scmp.com/typhoons/img/covers/Wanda_19620902-SMP-01F.thumb.png

 

http://multimedia.scmp.com/typhoons/img/1/wanda_8.1200.jpg

 

http://multimedia.scmp.com/typhoons/img/1/ellen_e.1600.jpg

 

 

‘Buildings collapsed, people were buried alive’ Wanda: September 1, 1962

. . . on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the 1937 storm, Wanda hit the city with an intensity not seen before or since.

 

Winds gusting at over 260km/h coincided with a high tide, causing a massive storm surge. Rain hammered down, pouring 1,500 million gallons of water into Hong Kong’s reservoirs in just 48 hours. Cars were flipped over by the relentless wind.

 

‘Typhoon Wanda, with winds of up to 162 miles an hour, smashed its way through Hongkong yesterday and in eight hours of terror, killed or injured hundreds, rendered nearly 20,000 homeless and left behind it a trial (sic) of destruction,’ reported the Post under the headline ‘Hong Kong’s Day of Terror’.

‘I was swimming for hours before reaching the shore’ Rose: August 16, 1971

 

‘Never had such severe damage been done’ Ellen, Sam and York

The end of the 1970s mercifully marked the end of the high death tolls inflicted on Hong Kong by typhoons. The next two big names to arrive - Ellen in 1983 and York in 1999 - struck an increasingly vertical, concrete city which provided a stronger, more resilient infrastructure, able to more effectively shelter its residents from the elements.