Tropical storm Hato dealt Macau only a glancing blow on Wednesday, but it was enough to shut down Asia’s premier gaming hub, flood some integrated resorts, and took at least three lives as it pummels its way toward the mainland.

The Macau Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) hoisted signal 10 shortly before midday as the former Portuguese enclave braced itself for what the government agency described as the most destructive typhoon that hit the gaming paradise since 1999.

According to The South China Morning Post, power outages and flooding were being reported across much of the Macau peninsula as the storm – with winds reaching the speeds of up to 165 kilometres per hour (103 mph) – skirts about 50 kilometers to the south of Hong Kong.

The non-stop rainfall in Macau has reportedly inundated the ground floor gaming area at the Ponte 16 resort. Tropical storm Hato also left a trail of destruction in Melco Resorts’ Studio City on Cotai and City of Dreams; while uprooted trees were hurled across the pool of Galaxy Macau.