Taiwan closed its schools and evacuated thousands of people in the south of the island on Tuesday October 1 before the arrival of powerful Typhoon Krathon, which could cause « catastrophic damage », according to President Lai Ching-te. Typhoon Krathon, with sustained winds of 198 km/h, the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane, and gusts of up to 245 km/h, is expected to make landfall on Wednesday near Kaohsiung (southwest).
In the south of this major port city, residents filled sandbags and erected barriers around their homes to protect against flooding, and they taped up windows. Ranked Krathon « typhon fort » by Taiwan was about 230 kilometers south/southwest of Kaohsiung at 3 a.m. according to the Central Meteorological Administration. Since the start of Tuesday, more than 7,700 people have been evacuated as a precaution in seven cities and counties, including Kaohsiung, Hualien (east) and Taitung (southeast), according to the Ministry of the Interior. Offices and schools in six cities and counties in southern and eastern Taiwan are closed Tuesday, while dozens of international and domestic flights have been canceled.
Krathon should « inevitably cause catastrophic damage » transforming into a powerful typhoon, Lai Ching-te said at a government briefing. « Krathon has a relatively rare trajectory, entering from the south and exiting from the east. We must therefore be particularly vigilant »he added. Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC, « activated the usual typhoon warning preparation procedures » for all of its production sites on the island, without planning « of significant impact » on its activities, according to a company press release.
“Very careful”
Coast guards patrolling Sizihwan Bay, a tourist spot west of Kaohsiung, asked people to stay away as powerful waves crashed onto the coast. Ou Rui-yao, an 82-year-old retiree who came to watch birds in the area, said he had made arrangements at home, including installing flood barriers. « We must be very careful because this typhoon must be very powerful »he confided.
Some 23 minor injuries linked to the beginnings of the typhoon were reported, authorities said without giving details. Nearly 40,000 soldiers are ready to carry out relief missions, according to the Ministry of Defense. In Renwu district, soldiers filled bags with sand to distribute them to residents. A few dozen of them waited outside the district office. « People are eager to collect sandbags to protect their homes. Until yesterday, we distributed around 7400 and another 1100 today »said Wu Mao-shu, a supervisor at the office.
The office supervisor also said authorities had cleared storm drains in the area to prevent a repeat of the widespread flooding seen during Typhoon Gaemi in July. Gaemi was the most powerful typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in eight years, killing at least ten people and injuring hundreds. The island of Taiwan is accustomed to tropical storms, common between July and October, but experts say climate change has increased their intensity, bringing heavy rains, flash floods and gusty winds.
The Coast Guard said a Barbadian vessel, the « Blue Lagoon »had taken on water, and its 19 crew members were waiting to be airlifted to dry land. In Taitung, where the typhoon brought heavy rain and waves up to seven meters high, a man was sent to hospital after his truck was hit by a huge rock while driving on a mountainous road, local media reported. On Monday, Krathon struck the northern Philippines province of Batanes, knocking out power and communications services, according to the state weather service and officials. The country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Tuesday that nearly 1,800 people had been evacuated, about half of them in Batanes.
