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Jimmy Chow

When Super Typhoon Ragasa hit Hong Kong last month, nearly 80 Red Cross staff and volunteers worked around the clock before, during and after the storm to help residents living in flood-prone areas.
In Tai O, the team – comprising 43 Red Cross staff and 34 volunteers – helped residents raise their furniture and passed along weather alerts to more than 500 people.
As the storm intensified, volunteers distributed 200 sandbags to Sai Kung and Sham Tseng, and supported emergency shelters.
Afterwards, they returned to assess damage and assist recovery efforts.
“That mission truly tested our resilience. But our teamwork ensured we could reach those in need quickly and safely,” a spokesman for Hong Kong’s Red Cross Local Disaster Management Team (LDM) said.
The team has been named a finalist in this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards in the teamwork category.
The spokesman said the team worked with local communities, government departments and partner organisations to provide holistic disaster support spanning resilience, response and recovery.
“Our work covers the full disaster management cycle,” he said. “We build community resilience through preparedness training and educational campaigns, respond swiftly when crises strike and stay to support recovery afterwards.”
Long before a typhoon makes landfall, the LDM team is already in the field. Volunteers conduct home visits, provide preparedness supplies and train families living in inadequate housing on how to protect themselves during extreme weather.
Through these projects, households receive practical tools such as dehumidifiers, smoke detectors and emergency kits.

However, the Red Cross said the goal was deeper, as the team also focused on education as part of its resilience efforts.
In Tai O, one of Hong Kong’s most flood-prone areas, the Red Cross works with schools and NGOs to hold cross-generational programmes linking environmental protection and disaster preparedness.
Students visit elderly residents to exchange knowledge and foster stronger community ties.
When emergencies hit, the team operates around the clock to deliver assistance.
As Hong Kong’s only agency supporting the Social Welfare Department in providing 24-hour emergency relief, the Red Cross ensures that affected residents receive immediate help, including rest stations, financial aid and essential supplies.
The team’s effectiveness is rooted in preparation.
“We train and plan year-round. When a disaster strikes, everyone knows their role. Coordination, trust and communication keep us calm and effective under pressure,” the spokesman explained.
The Red Cross has also embraced technology and nature-based solutions to tackle the growing threats of climate change.
Working with marine scientists, the team is testing the use of oyster cages in Tai O’s intertidal zones to reduce wave energy and increase biodiversity, a project that blends environmental protection with disaster prevention.
With support from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the organisation has developed an all-in-one disaster preparedness map, providing real-time information on weather, public facilities and emergency services.
Meanwhile, geographic information systems technology helps the Red Cross locate high-risk households such as Tai O’s stilt houses and squatter homes.

After every mission, debriefing sessions allow volunteers to reflect and share their feelings to ensure their mental health is supported.
“This recognition belongs to our volunteers and to the communities we serve,” the spokesman said. “It honours everyone in Tai O and across Hong Kong who contributes to building a more resilient city.”
The Spirit of Hong Kong Awards is co-organised by the South China Morning Post and Sino Group to recognise the efforts of the city’s unsung heroes who contribute to the community or inspire others with stories of how they overcome personal challenges.


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Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: Red Cross team prepares for disasters beyond Typhoon Ragasa

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Hong Kong

Society

Team of 43 Red Cross staff and 34 volunteers helped residents in worst-hit areas during storm and wants to strengthen city’s long-term resilience


Team of 43 Red Cross staff and 34 volunteers helped residents in worst-hit areas during storm and wants to strengthen city’s long-term resilience.


Spirit of Hong Kong

Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: Red Cross team prepares for disasters beyond Typhoon Ragasa

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Team of 43 Red Cross staff and 34 volunteers helped residents in worst-hit areas during storm and wants to strengthen city’s long-term resilience

Team of 43 Red Cross staff and 34 volunteers helped residents in worst-hit areas during storm and wants to strengthen city’s long-term resilience