The Civil Protection Operations Centre announced that the city entered immediate preventive status at 1 p.m. and activated its evacuation plan for flood-prone zones. Police officers were deployed to assist residents in the Inner Harbour, covering areas from Largo do Pagode do Bazar to Rua de Francisco António. A total of 942 individuals were relocated from 361 households.
According to the Judiciary Police, 124 personnel were mobilized to support the evacuation. Deputy Director Lai Man Wai stated that the affected district contains 2,425 residential and commercial units, many of which are shops or unoccupied dwellings. However, 361 units required evacuation, including 25 hotels, two casinos, one staff dormitory, one elderly care home, and one health center.
Of those evacuated, six individuals required first-level assistance, while 40 elderly residents and 12 staff members from the care home were classified as needing second-level support.
The SMG warned that Ragasa is expected to approach its closest point to Macau on September 24th. If storm surge levels coincide with astronomical high tide, the city could face flooding comparable to that experienced during Typhoon Hato in 2017 and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018.
Signal No. 8 is scheduled to be raised at 5 p.m. on September 23rd, with the possibility of higher signals tomorrow. The issuance of a red storm surge warning later this evening is also considered likely.
