Authorities in Hualien County are preparing for possible large-scale evacuations as Typhoon Fung-Wong approaches Taiwan, with officials warning that extreme rainfall could trigger the formation of a new landslide lake on Mataian River (馬太鞍溪).
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said yesterday that a new barrier lake could form if three extreme conditions occur simultaneously -- 24-hour accumulated rainfall of 800 millimeters, the collapse of the existing Mataian barrier lake holding about 1.5 million cubic meters of water, and a massive slope landslide blocking the river channel.
If these conditions are met, the resulting lake could store up to 15 million cubic meters of water and, if it later collapses, could unleash floodwaters at a peak rate of around 4,500 cubic meters per second, the agency estimated.
Photo courtesy of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Hualien branch
Monitoring data yesterday showed the current Mataian barrier lake’s water level at 1,019.5 meters, with a volume of about 1.49 million cubic meters -- only 1.6 percent of its pre-overflow level. The downstream slope remains stable, with no signs of major collapse, according to the agency.
With forecasts of nearly 282 mm of rain over the next 48 hours, the agency’s Hualien Branch issued a yellow alert yesterday morning and sent emergency cell-broadcast messages to residents downstream, urging them to follow evacuation instructions if a red alert is issued.
Guangfu Township (光復), located downstream of the creek, has begun preparations for potential evacuations affecting more than 5,500 residents, according to township chief Lin Ching-shui (林清水).
Plans include relocation to seven designated shelters, staying with relatives, or moving to higher floors in homes, Lin said, adding that about 1,420 people are expected to take shelter in evacuation centers such as Guangfu Elementary School and Fuyuan Junior High School.
Lin said shelters would be set up this morning, and evacuation will begin once a red alert is issued.
Households that were submerged by more than 1.5 meters of floodwater during the overflow of the Matai’an barrier lake on Sept. 23 will be required to evacuate rather than shelter in place, he added.
The Central Weather Administration said earlier that a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong could be issued as early as this afternoon.
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS