China has evacuated nearly two million people from Guangdong province as Super Typhoon Ragasa, the world’s strongest storm this year, approaches landfall this September 24. The storm, packing sustained winds of 176 km/h (109 mph) and gusts up to 268 km/h (166 mph), is expected to hit near Zhanjiang late tonight.
Ragasa has already left devastation in its path: at least 14 dead and 124 missing in Taiwan after a lake burst, and 62 people injured in Hong Kong amid flooding, fallen trees, and landslides. Chinese authorities have issued red alerts for landslides and coastal storm surges up to five meters (over 16 feet).
Throughout history, there have been many events that led to mass evacuations. The reasons for people leaving their homes and fleeing vary, but such extreme measures are usually deployed in the face of a natural disaster or a man-made event such as war.
In this gallery, we take you on a journey through the most significant mass evacuations that have ever occurred. Click on and get to know all about them.