The aftermath around

The two below I like the most - the rest are contextual snapshots; the parking lot at Second Beach and the road that leads down to it.

The parking lot, carpeted with shredded leaves, and some road-paint imploring it all to stop.

Clearwater Bay road, one lane opened by the government's advanced clear-up team. Schools remain closed.

Generally the village seems to have held up well.  Cars are always vulnerable, and people living close to the water got trashed by the storm-surge (in effect, the sea rising up because the air pressure which ordinarily holds it down is so low), which was 4.5 meters vertically above the high-tide.

Some cars that hid from the water, were caught by the trees.  Insurance pays out 25% in a Typhoon.

Snail's house - this is the pile outside, the bottom story had waves directly from the sea roam through it.

Since I sent you the video of it during the storm, taken by Hunter, here is the Lexus that thought it was a boat.  Repect for its construction I must add.  It appeared to have no water inside.  I suspect if one removed the air-filter it would start - or maybe I underestimate the destructiveness of sea-water.

The beach and its line of trees is gone, barren rocks and a brush-pile is all that is left.

I don't generally use other people's photos, but here is what Sai Kung looks like.  The thing that really strikes me is the amount of polystyrene in the sea.  Devastating.  The effects of this will be felt in the ecosystem for a generation.  The massive concrete pier at Pak Sa Wan is gone - just disappeared.

This is the photo that staggers me most.  Hong Kong is built with these storms in mind.  Office blocks and apartments were thoroughly beaten up,  ours is apparently OK, though has lost its air-conditioning unit (rendering it pretty un-usable, because it certainly does not have windows that open).  I was planning to go in this morning, but was talking to my neighbour Andy who went out to fetch his car, secreted in an underground car-park.  Even at 6am the traffic build-up on the single lane road turned it into an hour-long journey - so I guess its another day working at home for me.  Tomorrow, Shanghai.