Before-and-after satellite imagery shows destruction from Super Typhoon Ragasa

Before-and-after images released by Maxar, a space technology company based in Colorado, show parts of Taiwan covered by mud and floodwater after the impacts from the tropical cyclone.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Newly released satellite imagery shows the impacts from storm surge and flooding produced by Super Typhoon Ragasa as it passed through the Luzon Strait on a trajectory toward China.

The images, released by Maxar, a space technology company based in Colorado, showed bridges destroyed, farmland inundated by floodwater and large swaths of southern Taiwan coated in thick debris. 

Many streets appeared to be covered by silt and mud as both lakes and streams overtopped their banks, raising concerns about the stability of infrastructure.

"Many of the streets in Guangfu remain covered with mud and silt and similar damage is seen in farms and fields along the outskirts of the city," Maxar stated. "Nearby, the Matai’an Creek Bridge has been destroyed and washed away from the flooding."

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According to authorities in Taiwan, at least 17 people were killed and many more were missing after the powerful cyclone passed south of the island. 

Typhoon Ragasa developed east of the Philippines before becoming the world's strongest cyclone of the year with maximum sustained winds of about 165 mph.

The Philippines, Taiwan and China reported widespread damage from the cyclone, with a combined death toll already at several dozen and many people still unaccounted for.

In countries such as Taiwan, the country’s military was deployed to assist in search and rescue operations, setting up temporary shelters and airlifting supplies into isolated areas.

In Hong Kong, schools and airports were closed as the worst of the weather moved from east to west across southern China.

Significant flooding was also reported in China, particularly in Guangdong Province, but it was unclear if there were any confirmed reports of missing people or fatalities.

Local officials continued to warn of possible landslides in mountainous terrain where the ground was already saturated.

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Before the arrival of the cyclone, the government aided in moving millions out of the expected impact zone, which likely prevented a significant loss of life.

Ragasa made its final landfall southwest of Hong Kong on Wednesday with winds on the order of 80-100 mph, but the threat of flooding and landslides was expected to continue well inland.

The remnants of the cyclone were also expected to lead to heavy rainfall and flooding in northern Vietnam and Laos.

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TOPSHOT - Residents clear mud from their property, while damaged cars are seen in the background, in Hualien on September 24, 2025, following the bursting of a barrier lake. At least 14 people were killed when a decades-old lake barrier burst in Taiwan, a government official said on September 24, after Super Typhoon Ragasa pounded the island with torrential rains. (Photo by JOHNSON LIU/AFP via Getty Images)

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TOPSHOT - A rescue team talks with inhabitants of a building during the passing of Super Typhoon Ragasa in Macau on September 24, 2025. Fierce winds, pounding rain and high seas battered Hong Kong on September 24 as Super Typhoon Ragasa headed into southern China after causing a lake burst that killed at least 14 people in Taiwan. (Photo by EDUARDO LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

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A large waves breaks behind a lifeguard tower at a beach as Super Typhoon Ragasa moved towards Hong Kong on September 23, 2025. Hong Kong shut schools and cancelled flights on September 23 as Super Typhoon Ragasa was set to slam into the financial centre with a force that officials warned would be among the most destructive in the city's recent history. (Photo by DALE DE LA REY/AFP via Getty Images)

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A man stands near debris on a waterfront road amid heavy rain due to weather patterns from Super Typhoon Ragasa in Aparri town, Cagayan province on September 22, 2025. Hundreds of families sheltered in schools and evacuation centres on September 22 as heavy rains and gale-force winds from Super Typhoon Ragasa lashed the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan. (Photo by John Dimain / AFP) (Photo by JOHN DIMAIN/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by JOHN DIMAIN/AFP via Getty Images)