On Thursday, one of the strongest recorded typhoons hit Macau causing chaos and confusion. The typhoon killed nine people and left half of the city without water or power.
Rescuers were sent out on Thursday to search submerged cars to rescue trapped citizens. Emergency services were put in charge of answering crisis calls and sending help.
Typhoon Hato had winds moving at 200 kmh and many residents blamed the government for not being prepared.
News channels reported Typhoon Hato was the strongest one since 1968 hitting the home of 600,000 people.
One of the civil servants who refused to give his name as they are not allowed to speak to the media said, “The city looks like it was just in a war.”
On Wednesday, Hato hit Hong Kong and flooded the streets, uprooting trees and canceling a number of airline flights. The Typhoon resulted in injuring 34 people in Hong Kong.
There was a communication gap regarding the Typhoon, Hong Kong rated Hato a signal 8 storm warning on Wednesday but Macau gave it a signal 3 storm. This resulted in the city not being prepared for such an intense Typhoon.
A marketing consultant in Macau said, “I am shocked with the late notice and lack of preparation that was given for this super storm. Residents are in peril and unable to assess if help is on the way.”
Hato’s powerful winds ripped through the exterior of many buildings including multi billion dollar casinos.
