Disaster Report after Super Typhoon Saola to Hong Kong

In order to understand the types of disasters that occur after the passage of a typhoon, National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Center (Hong Kong Branch) immediately formed a group (Dr. E Deng, Mr. Huan Yue, Mr. Xin-Yuan Liu) to conduct on-site research on September 2, 2023.

Fig. 1 Pose for a photo (Dr. E Deng left, Mr Huan Yue right)

The Hong Kong Observatory issued the city's highest storm signal, Hurricane Signal No. 10, at 8.15pm on Friday as Super Typhoon Saola approached the city. It caused extensive damage to glass building facades, street signs and trees along Hong Kong's coastline. The next image shows the location of damage in some areas of Hong Kong after Typhoon Saola passed. The specific aftermath of the disaster can be divided into seven categories: damage to glass curtain walls, dumping of street signs, trees breakage, blowing down of rubbish bins, falling of ventilation ducts, destruction of construction site hoardings and falling of advertising banners. The first three categories are the most common.

Fig. 2 Location of the disaster on the map

1. Damage to glass curtain walls

1) School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Fig. 3 Damage to glass curtain walls in School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Two glass curtain walls of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management were blown away, with the damage to the building's curtain wall shown below left, and a photo of the shattered glass on the ground floor below right. The glass curtain wall fragments picked up here were small and 11.5 mm thick.

2) The Urban Council Centenary Garden

Damage to a glass curtain wall near a building near The Urban Council Centenary Garden.

Fig. 4 Damage to glass curtain walls in The Urban Council Centenary Garden

3) CITI tower

A piece of glass curtain wall peeled off at the upper level of the CITI tower.

Fig. 5 Damage to glass curtain walls in CITI tower

4) Allied Kajima Building

Fig. 6 Damage to glass curtain walls in Allied Kajima Building

Spalling and damage to the Allied Kajima Building's glass fade occurred, with a total of five panes suffering varying degrees of damage, with two panes spalling at the bottom and three panes damaged at the top. The glass curtain wall fragments picked up here were large, 11.5 mm thick.

5) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Bay Campus

The glass curtain wall of the building shattered and the ground was littered with broken glass.

Fig. 7 Damage to glass curtain walls in The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hung Hom Bay Campus

6) Harbourfront

The glass curtain wall on the middle floor of the building was blown away continuously.

Fig. 8 Damage to glass curtain walls in Harbourfront

7) Bank of China Tower

The typhoon blew away a piece of glass curtain wall.

Fig. 9 Damage to glass curtain walls in Bank of China Tower

8) Tseung Kwan O Center

Fig. 10 Damage to glass curtain walls in Tseung Kwan O Center

From the interior of the building, it was discovered that the entire glass was missing.

9) Lohas Park

The typhoon caused the glass curtain wall of the high-rise building to burst.

Fig. 11 Damage to glass curtain walls in Lohas Park

10) Yau Ma Tei

Dropping and breaking of glass curtain walls on building surfaces

Fig. 12 Damage to glass curtain walls in Yau Ma Tei

11) Tseung Kwan O

The glass in the building shattered, leaving shards of glass inside and curtains blown out of the windows.

Fig. 13 Damage to glass curtain walls in Tseung Kwan O

2. Dumping of street signs

1) Hong Chong Road

The bus stop sign by the road was blown away.

Fig. 14 Dumping of street signs in Hong Chong Road

2) Tsim Sha Tsui

Fig. 15 Dumping of street signs in Tsim Sha Tsui

Barricades along the highway were blown down.

3. Trees breakage

1) The Urban Council Centenary Garden

Fig. 16 Trees breakage in The Urban Council Centenary Garden

Trees blown down in the urban council centenary garden.

2) K11

Multiple trees were blown down underneath the building.

Fig. 17 Trees breakage in K11

3) Connaught Road Central

Trees on the side of the road were blown down.

Fig. 18 Trees breakage in Connaught Road Central

4) Connaught Place

Fig. 19 Trees breakage in Connaught Place

Trees next to the Connaught Place were blown over and blocked the doorway, and the fallen tree also toppled the roadside fence.

5) Hong Kong City Hall

A small tree near the building was blown down.

Fig. 20 Trees breakage in Hong Kong City Hall

6) Bank of China Tower

The branches of the trees under the building were blown down.

Fig. 21 Trees breakage in Bank of China Tower

7) Queensway

Fig. 22 Trees breakage in Queensway

A number of trees were blown down along the roadside, with one large tree having a section that looked as if it had been cut open by a saw.

8) Hennessy Road

Trees were blown down along the roadside, the trees smashed into the road signs next to the road, and the roots of the trees were uprooted, indirectly damaging the ground, which consists of red bricks.

Fig. 23 Trees breakage in Hennessy Road

9) Duke Of Windsor Social Services Building

Fig. 24 Trees breakage in Duke Of Windsor Social Services Building

The trees on the roadside were uprooted by the typhoon, and they were placed leaning at the door of the building.

10) Causeway Road

Trees along the road were blown down on a large scale, with fallen trees lying across the street and branches falling on benches.

Fig. 26 Trees breakage in Hung Lok Road

12) Grand Horizon

Fig. 27 Trees breakage in Grand Horizon

Trees on the Grand Horizon were uprooted.

4. Blowing down of rubbish bins

1) The Urban Council Centenary Garden

Several rubbish bins were blown over in The Urban Council Centenary Garden.

Fig. 28 Blowing down of rubbish bins in The Urban Council Centenary Garden

2) Connaught Road Central

The roadside bin was blown away and the main body and contents were no longer in place.

Fig. 29 Blowing down of rubbish bins in Connaught Road Central

3) Hong Kong City Hall

The rubbish bin on the side of the road was blown away, the main body was no longer in place and only the rubbish and lid remained.

Fig. 30 Blowing down of rubbish bins in Hong Kong City Hall

5. Falling of ventilation ducts

1) Hecny tower

The outer wall of the ventilation duct at the Hecny tower was blown away by the typhoon.

Fig. 31 Falling of ventilation ducts in Hecny tower

6. Destruction of construction site hoardings

1) AIA Central

Building site hoardings were blown over extensively and roadside hoardings were blown over.

Fig. 32 Destruction of construction site hoardings in AIA Central

7. Falling of advertising banners

1) Cannon Street

Street-side billboards were blown off.

Fig. 33 Falling of advertising banners in Cannon Street

2) Hong Kong Tower

Billboards were blown away in the square.

Fig. 34 Falling of advertising banners in Hong Kong Tower