The government announced a ‘Number 1 Standby’ (ie ‘nothing is happening’) signal just after noon yesterday, even though the typhoon was more than the usual 800 kilometres away. It then announced that it would put up the Number 3 by 9.40pm that evening and would ‘consider’ the Number 8 during the following (ie this) afternoon. It is now saying it will announce the number 8 at 2.20pm, and a ‘Pre-Number 8 Special Announcement’ two hours beforehand. Schools are shut today, as well as tomorrow.
This is a big typhoon. Outlying islands will no doubt get a battering. Obviously, public safety is the priority, and emergency services need to be on heightened alert. But how does padding out the issuing of numbered storm categories and announcing early-warnings-of-warnings to the whole city really help? You have to wonder whether, in an effort to show everyone they are taking the incoming typhoon seriously, officials are inadvertently creating a greater sense of alarm. Now supermarket shelves have been stripped bare of bread, noodles and vegetables.
And will this continue after Ragassa has passed (which, believe it or not, it will)? Is the whole city going to stay shut down until Friday?
Non-panicky advice: get home in good time this evening and expect tomorrow to be a write-off.
I walked to the local Wellcome & Fusion this morning at 9:00 a.m. It was a pleasant stroll under light blue skies and no wind.
At each market, the manned checkout lines were 20 deep. The self-checkout machines had no queues at all.
All of the shelves for fresh produce and fresh protein were bare, as if it were Moscow in the 1970s, but everything else was intact and well-stocked. I even managed to score a loaf of whole wheat bread.
The bathroom tissues, often the first casualty of Hong Kong panic-buying, were well-stocked, probably a hangover from the most recent No. 8 non-catastrophe.
My club decided to close at noon, two-and-a-half hours before the No. 8 signal is even scheduled to be hoisted. During a more manly era, all the clubs stayed open throughout a typhoon. Those were some of the best impromptu parties, and the staff received overtime pay. It was a bonding experience and a good time was had by all.
I guess that’s what passes for progress these days.
The bigots must be silenced, starting with Harvey Milk.
As a Lamma resident, I can report that all the restaurants are full, the shops are fairly well stocked (except for bread) and people are merry and relaxed.
Well even after Ragassa has been passed, the city will need to wait some time until the air clears