Taiwan evacuated more than 3,000 residents and issued a land warning on Tuesday as Typhoon Fung-wong approached the island’s southern coast, bringing the threat of torrential rain, strong winds, and flash floods.
The storm, which weakened after battering the Philippines and killing six people, is expected to make landfall near the port city of Kaohsiung on Wednesday, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.
Fung-wong is then forecast to sweep across the island’s southern tip before exiting into the Pacific Ocean along the eastern counties of Taitung and Hualien.
Authorities said 3,337 people in four counties and cities had been moved to safer ground, including in the eastern town of Guangfu, where devastating floods killed 18 people in September during a previous typhoon.
President Lai Ching-te urged residents to exercise caution and avoid dangerous areas. “Please do not go to the mountains, the coast, or other risky locations,” he wrote on Facebook, warning of potential landslides and flash floods.
Local governments in Hualien and neighboring Yilan County closed schools and offices on Tuesday as emergency crews prepared for heavy downpours and strong gusts.
Disaster response teams have been deployed to monitor river levels and secure vulnerable areas.
While the storm is not expected to directly impact Hsinchu, the northern city that hosts Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), officials said the government remains vigilant over possible disruptions to power and transport networks.
Meteorologists expect Fung-wong to weaken further as it crosses Taiwan but warn that its slow movement could result in prolonged rainfall, especially over the island’s mountainous east.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
