TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Typhoon Haikui brought strong wind and heavy rain to southern Taiwan on Sunday (Sept. 3), leading to flooding, landslides and blocked roads in some areas.
Kaohsiung’s Taoyuan District Office issued a "red alert" landslide warning and told residents to evacuate."We have 1,453 people in Taoyuan District. Those that are ill and other special households have all been evacuated before 4 p.m. (Sunday)," said Kaohsiung Taoyuan District Director Andrew Isbabanal (杜司偉), per PTS.
Torrential rains create a landslide threat in Kaohsiung. (CNA photo)
A similar evacuation warning was issued for other remote districts in Kaohsiung, such as Jiaxian, Liugui, Namasia, and Maolin on Sunday.
On Sunday night, rainfall in Kaohsiung districts such as Lingya, Qianzhen, Fengshan, and Renwu exceeded 100 millimeters within three hours, causing flooding on Jianguo Road in Fengshan District, Dechang Road in Qianzhen District, and the Kaisyuan MRT Station.
Police set up blockades to deal with flooded roads, and as rain slowed, water began to gradually recede. All Kaohsiung light rail lines will be suspended until noon Monday (Sept. 4), and Kaohsiung MRT will adjust the wait between trains to 10 minutes to better deal with typhoon-related disruptions.
In Pingtung County’s Gaoshu Township, rainfall reached 58.5 mm on Sunday evening, flooding some roads and residences in Guangfu Village. Kenting’s main street also experienced heavy rain, driving away what tourists were left during the weekend.
Some mountain roads are impassable due to landslides. (CNA photo)
Pingtung County’s Taiwu Township Office also implemented a preventive evacuation on Sunday afternoon, requiring residents from four tribal villages, such as Wanan, Jiaping, Jiaxing, and Pinghe, to shelter in the township office’s reception center.
According to the Pingtung County Government, as of 9 p.m. on Sunday, the number of people evacuated in the county had reached 1,206, with some 4,840 households without power and more than 30 reports of downed trees blocking roads.
