The typhoon Krathonwith sustained winds of 230 km/h – the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane – and gusts of up to 280 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.
Krathon classified as a “strong typhoon” by Taiwan was about 230 kilometers south/southwest of Kaohsiung at 11:00 a.m. local time (03:00 GMT) 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.
Krathon could “inevitably cause catastrophic damage” if it turns into a powerful typhoon, Lai Ching-te told 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. Some fifteen minor injuries linked to the beginnings of the typhoon have been reported.
Nearly 40,000 soldiers are ready to carry out relief missions, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Monday, Krathon hit 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.
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