Recently, Hong Kong quickly returned to normal despite record-breaking heavy rain, leading to analysis that the government's large-scale flood control investment and strengthened private-sector response proved effective. Considering that just two years ago floods and landslides from torrential rain killed 15 people and injured 144, it is seen as significant progress.
On the 11th (local time), Bloomberg reported that Hong Kong drew attention because it suffered no notable damage despite record-setting downpours last month. According to the Chinese daily China Daily, 350 mm of rain fell in a single day on Aug. 5, breaking Hong Kong's all-time daily precipitation record for August since records began in 1884. At the time, facilities such as hospitals, schools, and courts closed, and some roads and stairways were submerged, but there were reportedly no significant casualties.
This shows that Hong Kong has made major progress in responding to heavy rain in two years. Earlier, in September 2023, two days of torrential rain triggered floods and landslides, inundating shopping centers and subway stations and submerging buses, causing severe damage. Burst underground water pipes created sinkholes across roads, and about 160 people were killed or injured, stoking public concern. The economic loss from the flood alone is estimated at HK$100 million (about 17.836 billion won).
According to Bloomberg, the Hong Kong government more than doubled its heavy-rain response budget over two years and is now executing HK$317 million (about 56.5 billion won) annually. In particular, the Drainage Services Department (DSD), which oversees national drainage, has invested more than HK$3.2 billion over 40 years since its establishment in 1989, and after the extreme downpours in 2023, it is credited with steering a policy shift by running small-scale projects alongside large infrastructure investments such as stormwater drains.
The DSD is currently carrying out 15 drainage construction projects in Hong Kong, designating 240 crisis zones in urban areas for focused management and doubling emergency response teams to order rapid drainage work, among other proactive steps. According to the DSD, all reported flooding cases last year were fully resolved within two hours.
Strengthened response by the private institutional sector is also noteworthy. Link, a major real estate investment trust, conducted a full review of its risk model and on-site safety measures after basement-level flooding at a shopping mall in 2023. It invested HK$8 million over two years to reinforce infrastructure, including installing flood barriers, introducing real-time water level sensors, and redesigning drain covers, more than 10 times its investment over the prior three to five years (HK$500,000). The railway operator MTR also installed flood sensors at about 30 high-risk station entrances and has established standard operating procedures to immediately install flood boards when the highest rainstorm warning is issued.
Hong Kong's average annual rainfall is about 2,400 mm, roughly double that of New York in the United States, and its steep slopes and coastal-city characteristics make it structurally vulnerable to flooding. On top of that, rising temperatures are increasing rainfall, and experts say related risks are expected to grow due to sea level rise and aging infrastructure.
Juanfeng Duan, a professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said, "To block water that surges rapidly in a short time, meticulous research and engineering are essential," urging government investment. Bas Kolen of HKV, a flood-risk consulting corporations, said, "The government needs to explain honestly to citizens that 'not every situation can be prevented,'" and advised, "To maintain public trust, the government should be transparent about the extent to which it can provide solutions."