(Super Typhoon Ragasa) Approaching Ragasa triggers frenzied rush for supplies as HK braces for impact

As Super Typhoon Ragasa barrels towards Hong Kong, residents across the city have embarked on a frantic scramble for essential goods, creating scenes of unprecedented demand in supermarkets and wet markets.

The rush, described by netizens as "crazy" and "like a scene from a disaster movie," has left shelves stripped bare and checkout lines snaking out the doors.

The urgency is palpable. With the storm forecast to be as severe as the devastating Typhoons Hato and Mangkhut, Hongkongers are taking no chances.

Social media platforms are flooded with images and videos showcasing the astonishing buying spree.

Supermarket aisles that once held fresh vegetables, meat, and bread now sit nearly empty, with even premium-priced organic vegetables, selling at HK$27 a pack, being swept into shopping carts.

The panic buying isn't limited to food. Instant noodles and bottled water have also become highly sought-after commodities.

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The checkout process has become an ordeal in itself; despite stores deploying multiple cashiers and opening every available self-checkout machine, queues remain dauntingly long.

One netizen lamented, "I thought about going to the supermarket to buy a little food, but I was a step too late. The payment line stretched out the door. A half-hour wait probably wouldn't have been enough."

The sentiment was echoed by another shopper who overheard an elderly man in line remark, "It's a typhoon now, not a war. If it were a war, you people would be dead."

The wave of preparation has also swept through the city's wet markets. One early-morning shopper on Monday reported a chaotic scene, with vendors announcing they would be closed the following day and selling off their stock.

"The scene was so exaggerated it was like filming a disaster movie," he said. "People were pushing around their shopping trolleys, and the lines for every store were insane. The most frightening thing isn't how much you buy, but realizing when you get home that your fridge isn't big enough."

(Marco Lam)