Taiwan has grounded flights and closed schools, offices and financial markets ahead of a typhoon approaching the main island’s south west, after bringing flash floods to the Philippines northern islands.
Typhoon Krathon reached super typhoon status in recent days but movement stalled overnight and its intensity has weakened. Authorities warned the threat of strong winds and storm surges remained for coastal and low-lying communities on the densely-populated west coast, and the mountainous areas remained at high risk of landslides and torrential rain.
Taiwan is frequently hit by typhoons but it is unusual for one to make landfall on the west coast.
Different forecast models of the storm’s potential path varied widely. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) predicted it would hit the coast between Kaohsiung and the historic city of Tainan to the north, some time in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday morning as a weak typhoon or tropical storm.
Authorities in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second biggest city and home to 2.7 million people, had earlier warned people to stay home as the storm’s path looked set to repeat that of 1977 Typhoon Thelma which killed 37 people. In the city’s Siaogang district Chou Yi-tang, a government official, told Reuters that older residents with memories of Thelma were being particularly cautious. A record number of sandbags had been distributed in the district.
“We were hit directly by the eyewall,” Chou said of the 1977 storm. “Power was out for two weeks and no water for almost a month. It was disastrous.”
Every county in Taiwan declared a typhoon day for Wednesday, closing schools and offices. However there was some criticism of city governments in the north, with accusations that the day off was ordered unnecessarily to win favour with voters.
Domestic flights, ferry services and more than 200 international flights have been cancelled, and rail services suspended or reduced.
More than 38,000 troops have been placed on standby and more than a thousand people evacuated from some mountain areas. The fire department said on Wednesday morning that 46 injuries had already been reported, mostly in the east coast county of Taitung which has been battered by high winds and rain. One person was reported missing in the central county of Yunlin.
On Tuesday a cargo vessel ran aground near Taiwan’s Lanyu island, off the southeast coast. All 19 crew of the Barbados-registered Blue Lagoon were rescued but the ship remains stuck, and a Lanyu island official said on Tuesday that there appeared to be oil leaking from it. The ship was carrying more than 67,000 tonnes of iron ore and 227 tonnes of a fuel oil, according to Taiwan’s coast guard.
The outer bands of the typhoon also caused landslides near Hualien on Monday, blocking roads and rail lines and trapping eight vehicles and 14 people who were later freed.
Authorities are taking extra precautions after Taiwan was hit by the very strong typhoon Gaemi, equivalent to a category 4 hurricane, in July. The storm killed 11 people in Taiwan, brought widespread flooding including to Kaohsiung’s city centre, and grounded several ships.
“Because of Typhoon Gaemi being quite severe earlier this year, everyone is more cautious and prepared this time around,” said sales representative Yu Ren-yu, 35, picking up sandbags at a government office.
Despite Krathon weakening, its slow pace meant that the impact of continuing strong wind and rain would last into the weekend, the CWA said.
Reuters contributed to this report
Source: theguardian.com
