Unlike memorable Mangkhut, Saola gives Sai Kung glancing blow

2 September 2023 rmedcalf COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT 0

The presence of a police squad in little O Tau showed Sai Kung as a whole had been given just a glancing blow by Saola. This was no Mangkhut.

A resident called emergency services because the village’s seasonal-vane tree had lost a couple of large branches in the storm. They crashed onto two cars without causing damage. Eight police officers turned up led by a sergeant. They left their police van on Sai Sha Rd at the top of the O Tau stairs not realising they could drive into the village from a turn-off further up.

A HONG KONG BUZZ team member did a tour of Sai Kung in his car at about 8:00 am. Some big trees had fallen across the main roads but Hong Kong’s excellent emergency services had already been there with chainsaws. The roads were mostly littered with small branches, twigs and leaves. In town everything was closed except a 7/11. Tough runners were out in the rain shirtless giving the finger to the T8 signal. So, too, some dog walkers. FSD vehicles rushed about, lights flashing.

Checking the seafront in town then at Pak Sha Wan our staffer found no serious damage except for two sunken dragonboats.

When approaching Hong Kong Mangkhut and Saola were about the same strength, 150 mph winds. But unlike Mangkhut which gave HK a direct hit Saola hit the China coast near Fujian then scudded down the coastline to HK losing strength along the way, so the winds were less than half the speed by the time they hit Sai Kung. We were spared. This time.