The first major rainfall of the Plum Rain season hit yesterday, causing several small landslides along the Alishan Highway (Provincial Highway 18) and other minor damage nationwide.
The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) last week forecast that the frontal system scheduled to arrive yesterday would bring the worst rainfall of the season so far.
Writing on his Facebook page, forecaster Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典) described his rainfall forecast as one that “will make people feel anxious.” He also said that the heaviest rain would fall in the “most vulnerable areas” in southern Taiwan.
PHOTO: CNA
As of 6pm, the Directorate General of Highways (DGH) had reported that several road sections on provincial highways were closed because makeshift bridges or roads were flooded or the rainfall had reached alert level.
These included sections near Siaolin (小林) and Namasiya (那瑪夏) on the Southern Cross Island Highway, or Provincial Highway 20, those near Baolai (寶來), Taoyuan (桃源) and Lidao (利稻) on Provincial Highway 20, Wutai (霧台) on Provincial Highway 24, Liouguei (六龜) on Provincial Highway 27 and Chukou (觸口) on Provincial Highway 18.
The Central Disaster Emergency Operation Center reported that more than 400 guests at a wedding banquet in Nantou County’s Shenmu Village (神木村) had been cut off by rising flood waters. They were evacuated safely after the water receded.
The DGH said it would have people check on road conditions this morning. Should the rain cease and flooding recede, the DGH said the highways could be accessible by 6pm today.
As roads were closed, Namasiya, Taoyuan, Wutai, Lidao and Alishan were temporarily cut off from the outside world.
By 7:40pm, the accumulated rainfall in Alishan had topped 270mm. It was followed by Yuyoushan (御油山) in Kaohsiung County’s Taoyuan Township and Syueling (雪嶺) in Heping Township (和平) in Taichung County, where rainfall reached 213mm and 204mm respectively.
CWB forecaster Chang Yu-hsien (張育銜) said that rainfall in these areas could officially be categorized as “torrential rain,” with accumulated precipitation ranging from 200mm to 350mm.
Chang said the rain could ease today.
The Executive Yuan has directed the Ministry of National Defense to send troops to assist in areas that could be affected by the heavy rain, Cabinet spokesman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said.
Chiang said in a press release that high-ranking government officials were alerted to possible disasters brought by the rain.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) instructed Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) and Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) to prepare for disaster prevention, Chiang said.
The premier urged Cabinet agencies to monitor the rainfall and urged the defense ministry to plan troop deployments in advance, Chiang said.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications launched a mechanism to monitor bridges across the country, while the Council of Agriculture was monitoring mudslide-prone areas, he said.
Cabinet Secretary-General Lin Join-sane (林中森) also contacted government heads in Kaohsiung, Tainan, Pingtung, Chiayi and Nantou, where the heavy rainfall could cause serious disasters, Chiang said.
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