Typhoon Morakot surged toward Taiwan yesterday, closing offices and schools, disrupting transportation and confining millions of residents to their homes as its violent western fringe lashed the nation with high winds and heavy rain.
However, at press time many local governments declared today a work day, not a typhoon day. Keelung and Hsinchu cities, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Ilan, Hualien, Taitung, Penghu and Kinmen counties all declared today a work day while remaining local governments declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Taipei City and county changed their minds late last night and declared a typhoon day for today.
More than 605,262 households around the country experienced power outages as a result of the typhoon, including 118,612 households in Taichung.
PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI, TAIPEI TIMES
The typhoon also forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 people in mountainous areas in Hsinchu and Taoyuan counties yesterday as a precaution.
Authorities canceled many flights from Taipei to Asian destinations and all domestic flights. Those scheduled to travel today are advised to check with airlines or transportation service operators to see if service is available today. The Taiwan Railway Administration also canceled all express train services yesterday, whereas the Taiwan High Speed Rail suspended trains departing after 10am yesterday.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications also reported road damage caused by the typhoon. Four road sections — one provincial highway, two county roads and one township road — remained inaccessible as of 6pm yesterday.
Two ships registered in Cambodia and Indonesia were stranded near the coast of Pingtung yesterday after they lost power. While the crew members of the Cambodian ship were all rescued, the Coast Guard Administration and Kaohsiung Fire Department were trying to rescue the 15 crew members on the Indonesian ship at press time.
In Keelung’s Badouzih (八斗子) area, huge waves pummeled the rocky coastline and dozens of fishing vessels floated behind a breakwater, waiting for the storm to pass.
In a nearby dormitory some 200 Chinese fishermen played mahjong, snacked on instant noodles and watched kung fu movies as Taiwanese coast guard officials watched warily in the background. Badouzih traditionally provides refuge for fishermen from China caught on the high seas when 衫ajor storms approach.
As of 9:15pm, Morakot was moving northwesterly at 11kph, with its center 60km off the southeast coast of Hualien County. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 144kph, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said.
The CWB said Morakot slowed as it approached the nation’s east coast. As the Pacific high air pressure guiding Morakot’s movement weakened, the typhoon appeared to linger in one place, the CWB said.
“If the Pacific high air pressure continues to weaken, the typhoon will move even more slowly,” said Lin Hsiu-wen (林秀雯), deputy director of the bureau’s weather forecast center.
The bureau forecast that the center of the typhoon would probably make landfall today, adding that it may leave the northwest coast in the afternoon.
The bureau warned of strong winds and torrential rain in 要orthern Taiwan and cautioned residents in mountainous areas to be aware of the possibility of landslides.
Minor landslides were reported in other areas of northern Taiwan yesterday but no casualties were recorded.
By 7:15pm yesterday, the highest accumulated rainfall was reported in Shangdewen (上德文) in Pingtung County, which topped 789mm. It was followed by Taian (泰安) in Miaoli County and Dahu (大湖) in Chiayi County, each with accumulated rainfall of 703mm.
While Typhoon Morakot battered Taiwan and caused isolated damage, its heavy rains have also replenished the country’s reservoirs, easing mounting fears of a looming drought and water rationing.
The nation’s reservoirs accumulated an additional 167 million cubic meters of water because of the storm, which the Water Resources Agency yesterday will bring an end to night-time water rationing in Keelung City, Taoyuan County, Tainan City and Tainan County.
In the north, the storm contributed 20 million cubic meters of water to Feitsui Reservoir, raising its level to 150.95m as of yesterday noon, less than 20m short of its capacity.
The reservoir will consider releasing water if the water level goes above 163m.
Shihmen Reservoir has gained approximately 80 million cubic meters of rainwater, raising its level to 230.8m as of 10am yesterday. The reservoir’s maximum level is 245m.
In the south, Tsengwen Reservoir had collected about 40 million cubic meters of water, while Wushantou and Paoshan reservoirs also received large volumes of rainfall.
The level of stored water at Nanhua Reservoir had risen to 175.34m by 1pm yesterday, close to its full supply level of 180m.
In related news, Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) officials said yesterday that police are tracking the owner of a fake Central Personnel Administration (CPA) Web site that posted unauthorized announcements on school and office closures for Typhoon Morakot.
At around 1pm on Thursday, the Web site announced that all schools and government offices in northern and central Taiwan would be closed yesterday because of the storm.
As the site appeared similar to the CPA’s official site, it convinced many Internet users that the announcement was made by the CPA. It was only after checking with their local governments that users realized they had been fooled, though the CWB made the same announcement later on Thursday.
The CIB launched an investigation into the case and discovered that the Web site fell under Chunghwa Telecom’s domain.
The telecoms company was cooperating with police in checking the site’s IP address. Police would likely arrest the owner if the address is confirmed to be local, CIB officials said.
While the CPA has requested that the owner be charged with forgery, the officials said the suspect may not be convicted if the act was intended simply as a prank.
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