TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A sheet metal structure was ripped completely off the roof of a bed and breakfast in Kenting on Thursday (Oct. 5) by powerful winds generated by Typhoon Koinu.
With Kenting experiencing wind gusts of up to 17 on the Beaufort scale, real-time footage posted on Thursday showed the fierce winds and heavy rain wreaking havoc on Kenting's main street, scattering signs and leaving the streets in disarray, reported New-reporter.com. One video, taken by the female owner of a bed and breakfast showed a sheet metal shed buffeted by strong winds.
The left corner of the structure starts to break loose from the roof and the gap becomes wider with each successive gust before the entire shed is blown clean off the roof and disappears from view. The frightened owner can be heard repeating "Buddha Amitabha" five times while recording the footage.
The woman was cited by SET News as saying that the shed was later found 10 meters away and one of her boilers had also been torn off the roof. She said that not only does she have to pay out compensation for damage inflicted by the flying boiler and make repairs, but she will also not be able to operate her business during the upcoming National Day holiday.
She said that when the boiler flew off the roof, it crushed a person's scooter parked below. She added that spending money is unavoidable because "without repairing the sheet metal shed and the boiler, we can't continue to run our business."
The owner said there were strong winds and rains from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. and they had never encountered a typhoon that had such a prolonged impact before. As reports of damage from Pingtung County's Hengchun Peninsula kept streaming in, she advised people to stay at home as the safest option.
(New-reporter.com screenshot)
(New-reporter.com screenshot)
(New-reporter.com screenshot)
(New-reporter.com screenshot)
(New-reporter.com screenshot)
Sheet metal structure ripped completely off roof of B&B in Kenting by Typhoon Koinu's powerful winds https://t.co/8he3Os3hhU pic.twitter.com/gzYXkqVLKz
— Taiwan News (@TaiwanNewsEN) October 5, 2023