Typhoon Usagi Strikes Southern China, 25 Dead, 310,000 Displaced [VIDEO]

Late Sunday, Typhoon Usagi, the most powerful storm of the year, made landfall in southern China, killing at least 25 people in Guangdong province.

The storm, which at its peak was classified as a "super typhoon," brought with it winds as fast as 110 mph (180 km/h), bringing down houses, blowing cars off roads and toppling trees. Victims of the storm were struck by debris or drowned, the BBC reported.

One man who sought shelter inside his home was killed when the strong winds shattered his windows and glass pierced his heart, China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

A total of 5.48 million people were affected by the storm, including 310,000 who were displaced, Xinhua reported, adding that direct economic losses in Guangdong amounted to 7.1 billion yuan ($1.16 billion USD).

Xinhua said the worst hit area was a place called Shanwei.

"This is the strongest storm we have seen in the past 30 years. It is really terrible," a Shanwei resident identified as Zheng told Xinhua.

Xiao Zhan, deputy head of the Shanwei Water Authority, told Xinhua that seven of the dead in Shanwei were found at a railway construction site. "The majority of casualties were due to the collapse of houses where people took shelter," he said.

As of Monday schools were closed and air, railway and shipping traffic were suspended in 14 cities Guangdang, Xinhua reported, citing closures in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, as well as neighboring Hong Kong and Macao.

Prior to hitting the mainland, Usagi clocked winds as fast as 150 mph -- enough to be called a super typhoon -- but the storm weakened as it approached the mainland and has since been downgraded to a tropical depression.

Hong Kong, which was expected to face the brunt of the storm, was spared as Usagi -- which means rabbit in Japanese --  took a course more northerly than what was forecast. However, flights into and out of the Asian hub were canceled Sunday and part of Monday, leaving thousands stranded at the Chek Lap Kok airport. Sunday 370 flights were canceled and 76 were delayed, according to the South China Morning Post.