UPDATE 08:48 p.m. with school and office closures for Sunday
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The threat of a barrier lake overflowing forced the evacuation of 200 residents and the closure of three bridges in the Hualien townships of Wanrong and Fenglin on Saturday.
At noon, the authorities upgraded the risk of the lake upstream of the Wanli River overflowing, saying an emergency was possible within 24 hours instead of the 48 hours previously mentioned, per CNA. The increasing danger followed torrential rain across Taiwan since Thursday.
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Administration told residents of seven neighborhoods to move in with relatives elsewhere or seek refuge at an emergency center. An earlier shelter at the Lintienshan Forestry Culture Park was abandoned as it might be cut off from the outside world in the case of a barrier lake overflow, CNA reported.
The barrier lake on the Wanli River is located about 20 kilometers from Wanrong, above 1,000 meters above sea level. Officials said it has a capacity of 6 million cubic meters, per CNA. In the case of an overflow, 1.5 million cubic meters of water would be enough to create a significant impact, with Mingli Village in Wanrong bearing the brunt.
Due to the threat of an overflow, schools and offices in the Wanrong and Fenglin neighborhoods already affected by evacuations will remain closed Sunday, CNA reported. The Directorate-General of Personnel Administration provides updated information about cancellations of classes and work on its website.
An overflowing barrier lake in the nearby township of Guangfu in September killed 19 people and left five missing. The cleaning up of Guangfu and Fenglin took weeks, with thousands of volunteers streaming into the area to help.
