TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Emergency Operation Center on Wednesday said repairs to 800 meters of Hualien levees, or 27.9% damaged by Typhoon Ragasa, have been completed, per CNA.
The CEOC added there were 18 dead, six missing, and 136 injured from the typhoon.
Regarding the Mataian barrier lake that flooded the area, drone footage showed no abnormalities in the water levels or other instability. However, due to severe sediment accumulation downstream, a red alert remains in place.
As of Tuesday, the barrier lake's water level dropped to 1,020 meters and covers 12.6 hectares. It currently has 5.85 million tonnes of water, representing 6.4% of what it held before it overflowed.
The water level has dropped by 118.7 meters. As an additional precaution, an Air Force helicopter is expected to deploy a water level gauge into the lake on Thursday.
Overflow from the barrier lake damaged three levees totalling 2,860 meters. The first phase of an earth dike construction (300 meters) was completed earlier in the week as the Water Resources Agency mobilized 14 affiliated agencies, 766 personnel, and 86 excavators.
Levee repairs include a "triple barrier," which involves compacting an inner earth embankment, encasing the middle layer, and an outer layer of prefabricated concrete blocks. River dredging is also ongoing.
A shelter and resettlement team said that as of Wednesday morning, two shelters had been established in Guangfu Township, accommodating 233 people. The Ministry of National Defense also announced that 3,113 troops were dispatched to Guangfu Township to focus on cleaning up affected areas.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment deployed 3,691 environmental cleaning personnel and 1,100 cleaning machines to the area on Tuesday, clearing 12,670 tonnes of sludge and 34,808 tonnes of garbage. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has also dispatched COVID and flu vaccines to affected residents to prevent the spread of disease.
