The government is to issue nationwide earthquake and tsunami alerts tomorrow morning as part of this year’s National Disaster Prevention Day drills, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
The earthquake test would be conducted at 9:21am, followed by tsunami warnings at 10am and 10:10am for coastal areas, it said.
The drills aim to help people prepare for emergencies, as well as ensure that natural disaster prevention mechanisms are ready, the CWA said.
Photo courtesy of Kaohsiung Police Department
The agency said it hopes to improve the functionality of the alert and warning messaging system, and encourage public participation in disaster preparedness.
The earthquake drill would simulate a magnitude 7.3 quake with its epicenter in Chiayi County’s Jhuci Township (竹崎), with a maximum intensity of 7 and a depth of 7.9km, it said.
The tsunami scenario would simulate large waves triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake southwest of Taiwan, it said.
During the drills, the agency would send out information and alerts in real-time to mobile phones nationwide using its disaster warning service.
This year’s drill coincides with the 25th anniversary of the 921 Earthquake and the 15th anniversary of Typhoon Morakot, two major disasters that drove significant advancements in the nation’s disaster prevention and response planning.
The earthquake drill would test mechanisms of earthquake mitigation, preparedness and response at the local and national level, as well as include international scenarios to further evaluate disaster prevention systems, the CWA said.
National Disaster Prevention Day on Saturday is not only a test of disaster preparedness, but also an opportunity to raise public awareness about its importance and their role in it, the agency said.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference