Floodwaters from the overflowing Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) barrier lake swept into Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復) yesterday afternoon, leaving hundreds of people trapped and three missing as of press time last night, the Hualien County Fire Bureau said.
The waters surged into downtown Guangfu after the riverbank burst at about 2:50pm, carrying mud and debris and submerging streets to rooftop level in some areas.
Residents were seen climbing onto vehicles and rooftops to await rescue as thick, silt-laden water inundated the town.
Photo: CNA
The surge destroyed the Mataian Bridge (馬太鞍溪橋) and flooded the Guangfu Railway Station.
Rescue operations were launched with support from fire departments in Taipei, New Taipei City and Taitung, as well as civilian groups that provided boats.
Officials urged residents to move to higher floors if possible, while search-and-rescue teams prioritized those trapped at ground level.
Photo courtesy of a member of the public
A Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) meeting yesterday morning had determined that the Mataian River barrier lake in Wanrong Township (萬榮) might overflow, prompting evacuations, creek clearance and close monitoring.
Barrier lakes form when debris, landslides or other blockages create temporary dams along rivers.
Authorities said last night that two critically ill people died after they were unable to receive timely medical care due to flooding.
Photo courtesy of a member of the public
Separately, the land warning for Typhoon Ragasa was lifted at 8:30am yesterday, while the sea warning was lifted at 8:30pm.
The CEOC reported a total of 221 disasters nationwide, resulting in two deaths, 30 missing and 28 injuries. In response to the collapse of the Matai Anxi Bridge, the Highway Bureau has developed alternative routes.
The injured were in Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Hualien County, Taitung and outlying Penghu County.
Of the 8,524 residents in the area, 167 have been housed in three shelters, 3,118 sought refuge with family and friends, while the other 5,239 relocated to higher ground, the center said.
Meanwhile, landslide and mudslide warnings have been issued in Yilan, Hualien, Taitung and Pingtung counties.
In Taitung, a suspected tornado tore off tin roofs and blew over road signs early yesterday morning, a local resident said.
Driftwood was seen scattered over Taitung City Seaside Park.
In Pingtung County’s Liouciou Township (琉球), off the southwestern coast, a resident posted a video in a local Facebook group showing driftwood piled up along the Houshi Fringing Reef section of the island’s highway, blocking traffic.
Liouciou Township Councilor Hung Wen-liang (洪文良) said that although wind and rain were not especially strong on Monday night, waves were high and swept driftwood onto the road.
The waves swept up a lot of driftwood previously caught in the reefs and were hard to clean off during the storms of Typhoon Podul, which hit Taiwan last month, he said.
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
WARNING: People in coastal areas need to beware of heavy swells and strong winds, and those in mountainous areas should brace for heavy rain, the CWA said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa, forecasting that it would continue to intensify and affect the nation the most today and tomorrow. People in Hualien and Taitung counties, and mountainous areas in Yilan and Pingtung counties, should brace for damage caused by extremely heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s outer rim, as it was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said. As of 5:30pm yesterday, the storm’s center was about 630km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwest at 21kph, and its maximum wind speed had reached
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa this morning and a land warning at night as it approached Taiwan. Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8am yesterday, the CWA said, adding that at 2pm, it was about 1,110km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip. The typhoon was moving northwest at 13kph, with sustained winds of up to 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA Web site showed. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said that Ragasa was projected to strengthen as it neared the Bashi Channel, with its 200km
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hualien and Taitung counties declared today a typhoon day, while schools and offices in parts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties are also to close Typhoon Ragasa was forecast to hit its peak strength and come closest to Taiwan from yesterday afternoon through today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Taiwan proper could be out of the typhoon’s radius by midday and the sea warning might be lifted tonight, it added. CWA senior weather specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said that Ragasa’s radius had reached the Hengchun Peninsula by 11am yesterday and was expected to hit Taitung County and Kaohsiung by yesterday evening. Ragasa was forecast to move to Taiwan’s southern offshore areas last night and to its southwestern offshore areas early today, she added. As of 8pm last night,
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