Hong Kong weathers strongest typhoon to hit China since 2012

Hong Kong’s mountainous coastline and strongly enforced building codes lessen wind vulnerability compared to other coastal areas in the South China Sea meaning damage from Hato, the strongest typhoon to hit China since 2012, could be limited, according to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide.

Hato, the 13th typhoon to form in the northwest Pacific Basin this year, made landfall midday local time on August 23 in the city of Zhuhai between Hong Kong and Macau in Guangdong Province.

As Hato moved west between Taiwan and the Philippines it intensified rapidly from a tropical storm to a typhoon, exceeding the storm intensities that had earlier been forecast by most meteorological agencies. This led the Hong Kong authorities to issue the highest level of warning – a level 10 typhoon signal.

It is the seventh typhoon to impact China this year, and the strongest since Typhoon Vicente in 2012. In Macau, gusts of 132 mph have been reported. The center of the storm passed about 37 miles south of Hong Kong with maximum sustained winds of 78 mph and heavy rain.

The city of Guangzhou is the economic center of the Pearl River Delta and is at the heart of one of mainland China's leading commercial and manufacturing regions. Hong Kong is currently home to more than 7 million people.

AIR also said that a heavy investment in a flood defense system keeps inland flood risk within the city relatively low, although flooding is common in the surrounding areas and particularly in the mountainous regions. The reclamation of land is increasing storm surge vulnerability in the region due to the proximity of exposure to sea level and the narrowing of Victoria Harbour.

Most of the single-family houses in Hong Kong are made of reinforced masonry or concrete. Condominiums and commercial and industrial buildings—often mid- or high-rise structures—are mainly made of reinforced concrete or steel, reducing wind vulnerability. However, many high-rise buildings have basements where service equipment is located; this kind of equipment is expensive and vulnerable to water damage.

Cat modelling firm RMS has also commented on the typhoon. Simon Athawes, a China typhoon specialist, said that while the authorities are used to dealing with typhoons, but something of this magnitude is much rarer. “Indeed, this was the first level 10 warning issued for the city since Vicente in 2012, and only the 15th in more than seven decades stretching back to 1946,” he said.

“It’s early to be drawing firm conclusions about damage as reports are still coming in, but the indications are that most damage will result from flooding and storm surge rather than wind. The fact that the typhoon struck at high tide is significant when thinking about potential impacts on the insurance industry, as average annual losses for Hong Kong are several times higher for storm surge than for inland flooding.

“Claims for business interruption are also likely to be a factor, with financial markets and many businesses closed, and hundreds of flights and trains also cancelled. These closures were either as a safety precaution or because of power outages, which may take some time to restore. If businesses are damaged by floods or wind, then they may have to remain closed considerably longer.”

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