I did not take the incoming Typhoon Usagi seriously at first, because all the long-term Hong Kongers were calm and orderly, despite the government alerts posted in all public places.

However, I noticed two nearby supermarkets both ran out of instant noodles, bread and milk a day before landfall. Then I panicked.

Rushing to a bigger market to grab anything edible, I was surprised to see everything was still fully stocked.

There were no flustered customers or impatient shop assistants itching to run home - just me.

Back at my apartment building, I noticed several security guards putting long thick strips of tape onto the windows, to prevent them from being broken by strong wind. One guard said most residents living in higher floors also taped their windows.

My landlord, a kindergarten teacher, told me to pay attention to the weather observatory's website, and stay at home if the typhoon category reached No. 8 - with wind speed exceeding 180 kilometers per hour. My professor and even my migrant worker neighbor said the same thing - No. 8 means stay home.

This was a strong contrast to my hometown in Shanxi Province, where no residents have a clear idea about how to deal with extreme weather. During my school days in the 1990s, parents sent children to school in sandstorms, heavy snow and severe pollution.

During severe sandstorm days, we needed to wash our faces and brush our teeth after we came to school. My teachers said that learning requires us to overcome difficulties. Even now, the local government has not come up with a contingency plan for extreme weather.

However, the Hong Kong government laid out emergency plans that were well known by every resident, and it also issued widely disseminated warnings.

When the typhoon level was raised to No. 8 the next day, I did not worry because I had stored enough food and DVDs to get me through the whole weekend.

After the typhoon, no deaths were reported in Hong Kong, even though Usagi was the worst typhoon there in three decades.

There is no need to panic or feel helpless if you prepare for a storm before it comes. That's what Hong Kong taught me during my first month here.