The Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) yesterday announced that the flood red alert for the Mataian River (馬鞍溪) barrier lake in Hualien County, which formed in July, had been lifted.
CEOC chief coordinator Chi Lien-cheng (季連成) told a news conference that the criteria for lifting the alert had been met, as the lake’s water level is stable, dredging operations in the river are ongoing, a temporary embankment had been strengthened, and evacuation plans had been drafted and drills conducted.
Recovery for the towns affected by the severe flooding following the overflow and collapse of the barrier lake on Sept. 23 could take three to five years, he said.
Photo: CNA
As for the new barrier lake that formed on the same creek on Tuesday, it overflowed at about 8:30pm on Tuesday, immersing the temporary bridge to Guangfu Township (光復) before 10pm, the CEOC said.
The bridge was built along Provincial Highway No. 9 and opened on Oct. 10 to restore access to Guangfu Township, after it was cut off when flood water destroyed Mataian River Bridge.
The 2m culvert remained intact, but silt and branches covered the road, the Highway Bureau’s Eastern Region Branch Office said.
A total of 97 residents from the downstream Atomo community in Dongfu Village (東富) were evacuated by 7pm on Tuesday, the Guangfu Township Office said.
Although the 97 evacuees were relocated to either a township shelter or stayed with relatives, five other residents chose to move to the upper floor of their homes, the office said.
As of about 10:45pm on Tuesday, the water had receded below the bridge, the center said, adding that downstream overflows were stable yesterday with no immediate risks of the barrier lake collapsing.
Two-way traffic was reopened on the bypass bridge yesterday afternoon with a speed limit of 30kph and trucks are not allowed on the bridge.
The Hualien County Government said that the new lake formed earlier on Tuesday and was expected to overflow within 24 hours.
It has a capacity of about 600,000 tonnes of water, far smaller than the main Mataian River barrier lake about 1km upstream that overflowed and collapsed last month, causing 19 fatalities.
Additional reporting by Wang Chin-yi
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