After a family of three was hospitalized following a reckless storm-chasing incident on Tuesday, the Hong Kong authorities said on Thursday they are considering cracking down on such activities.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said in a radio program on Thursday that he was deeply distressed to learn that parents had brought their children with them to chase waves in the midst of a typhoon.

On Tuesday, while the No 8 typhoon signal was in force, a mother and her 5-year-old son fell into the sea in Chai Wan while wave-watching. The father jumped into the water in an effort to rescue them. All three were subsequently saved by a passing fishing boat and transported to the hospital for emergency treatment.

The mother and the son had been close to death but later recovered, while the father remained in a stable condition.

As of 8 pm on Wednesday, a total of 101 people had been injured when Super Typhoon Rasaga raged across the city, prompting the Hong Kong Observatory to hoist the No 10 signal — the highest typhoon warning — for 10 hours and 40 minutes.

Tang said there are no laws prohibiting people from chasing waves during storms, but added that the authorities will conduct a review to determine if such acts violate other existing laws, such as those relating to child neglect.

Tang stressed that the goal of doing so would be to promote public self-discipline rather than to make arrests.

The observatory removed all typhoon warning signals at 11:20 am on Thursday, with public services, flights and schools progressively returning to normalcy.

ALSO READ: Hong Kong in recovery mode after Ragasa onslaught

Check-in counters at Hong Kong International Airport were besieged by long queues of travelers from early in the morning, with many people having been stranded in the city due to the typhoon causing the cancellation of flights.

Some passengers said that operations were running smoothly, and that the airline they were flying with had informed them of their flight arrangements in advance.

Chapman Fong, director of hub development at the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), estimated that most flights would resume later on Thursday, and that operations should be fully normalized by Friday.

The first Airport Express train on Thursday set out at 5 am, earlier than its normal scheduled time of 5:50 am, to facilitate airport’s service recovery.

Speaking on a radio program, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said the authorities had prioritized the repair and clearance of railways, major highways, and primary routes as soon as conditions permitted.

Chan outlined a multi-departmental approach to carrying out such tasks: the Fire Services Department is using heavy machinery to clear large obstacles such as fallen trees, while the Highways Department has deployed over 200 standby contractors to clear key roads to enable bus services and restore access to remote villages.

Chan also gave her assurance that the AAHK is rescheduling affected flights and expects to clear the backlog within two days.

Chan said the authorities have enhanced their pre-storm preparations to ensure a faster response to any damage.

Public sports centers and swimming pools have been resuming normal operations throughout the day.

Classes at afternoon kindergartens have resumed, while classes at morning and whole-day kindergartens, schools for children with physical disabilities, and schools for children with intellectual disabilities will remain suspended on Thursday.

ALSO READ: Typhoon Ragasa weakens after second landfall in Guangxi

The storm has also reignited discussions over codes for working during adverse weather conditions following reports of essential workers traveling to work in dangerous conditions without special allowances.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said that a one-size-fits-all approach is unworkable, as it is impossible to define essential professions without disrupting critical services. He maintained that the current government guidelines — which encourage flexible arrangements between employers and staff — provide a necessary balance.

Powerful waves generated by Ragasa shattered the glass facades of numerous seafront restaurants along the Tseung Kwan O South Waterfront Promenade, causing severe flood damage.

Engineering expert Raymond Chan Kin-sek, while speaking to local media, suggested installing breakwaters at vulnerable coastal areas to absorb wave energy and mitigate future storm surge damage.

Such vulnerabilities were further demonstrated at the Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel, where waves smashed through the lobby's glass doors on Wednesday, flooding the interior.

Chan advised businesses to consider investing in high-quality tempered glass where feasible, and to deploy proactive measures like sandbags and flood barriers ahead of future storms.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com