Old Video Misattributed to Super Typhoon Ragasa’s Fury
Super Typhoon Ragasa, which struck the Philippines, Taiwan, and southern China in September 2025, has been misrepresented in a widely circulated video. The footage, showing individuals battling strong winds on a train platform, actually depicts a separate incident that occurred during a windstorm in Shanwei City, Guangdong Province, in April 2024.
Misleading Social Media Claims
On September 24, 2025, an Indonesian-language TikTok post claimed, “Damn, Super Typhoon Ragasa is 230 km/hour, that’s really fast.” This video quickly garnered over 23,000 views and was shared across various social media platforms in multiple languages, including Chinese, English, Polish, Malay, and Thai. The video shows people clinging to a pillar as fierce winds sweep across a train station platform, but it has no connection to the recent typhoon.
Weather authorities in Hong Kong described Ragasa as the most powerful storm of the year, with maximum winds reaching 145 km/h (90 mph). The typhoon caused significant destruction, including the loss of at least 14 lives in Taiwan, where flooding resulted from a barrier lake bursting in Hualien County. In Hong Kong, the storm uprooted trees, caused flooding, and disrupted hundreds of flights.
Fact-Checking the Viral Clip
Despite the alarming claims associated with the video, reverse image searches confirmed that it was taken during an unrelated windstorm in Shanwei. Reports from Taiwanese media indicate that the incident occurred on April 27, 2024, with a similar clip shared on Weibo shortly thereafter. The video includes clear signage from Shanwei Railway Station, identifiable in both simplified Chinese and English, and corresponds with geotagged locations on Google Maps.
On September 23, 2025, the Chinese state-affiliated news portal Nanfang Daily published a report debunking the claims linking the video to Typhoon Ragasa. According to Shanwei authorities, the weather conditions at the station were stable on the day the video was recorded, dispelling any notions of a connection to the recent storm.
The dissemination of misleading information during severe weather events can exacerbate public fear and confusion. It is crucial for individuals to verify the authenticity of such claims, especially in times of crisis. As Super Typhoon Ragasa highlighted the power of nature, the misrepresentation of unrelated incidents serves as a reminder to approach social media content with a critical eye.
