Heavy rains have brought great hardship to southern Taiwan, claiming at least four lives. More than 5,900 people have had to leave their homes. Some areas saw more rain in just one week than they normally get in a whole year. This incredible amount of water has caused landslides and wide-reaching floods, turning familiar landscapes into dangerous waters.
Since late July, the island has been hit hard by a mix of a low-pressure system and strong southwest winds. This has led to non-stop downpours and earth-shattering landslides in the agricultural heartland of the south. The Central Weather Bureau reported some mountainous areas in the south received over 2.6 meters of rain in only seven days. To put that in perspective, Taiwan’s average yearly rainfall is usually around 2.1 meters. This relentless soaking has also left three people missing and 77 injured.
Premier Cho Jung-tai visited the city of Tainan on Monday to see the damage firsthand. He noted that the region had just been pounded by Typhoon Danas the month before, and the rain hadn’t stopped since. The Premier admitted that Taiwan rarely faces such fierce storms. His government plans to quickly propose a special budget this week to help those affected by the floods.
More than 2,000 people still cannot return home. Many of these folks live in mountain villages within Kaohsiung and Pingtung regions. Rescue teams are working fast to clear roads that have been blocked by mudslides and floods. They are also delivering much-needed food and medical supplies to isolated communities.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai stated on Sunday that this might be the biggest evacuation in over a decade. He urged people to stay away from the mountains because of the ongoing danger. While the weather agency says the rain should ease up, warnings for landslides and floods remain in place for the southern mountain areas.
The current situation comes after Typhoon Danas slammed into southern Taiwan in July. That storm was unusually strong, making landfall on the densely populated west coast, which rarely happens. Danas caused massive damage to the power grid, knocking down over 3,000 utility poles. This was the worst power damage Taiwan had seen in many decades.
Source: reuters