Typhoon Fung-wong Brings Heavy Floods to Taiwan, Thousands Evacuated

Post by : Sameer Saifi

Taiwan faced severe floods on Wednesday after Typhoon Fung-wong brought record rainfall to the island’s east coast. Though the storm had weakened before reaching land, it still caused serious damage, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes and leading to dozens of injuries.

More than 8,300 people were evacuated from their homes, most of them in Yilan and Hualien counties. The government closed schools and offices across southern Taiwan as a safety measure. According to the fire department, 51 people were injured, and many towns were left flooded.

Television footage showed streets filled with muddy water and people stranded in their houses. In some areas of Yilan County, floodwaters rose as high as a person’s neck. Soldiers were seen rescuing families trapped by rising waters.

The harbor town of Suao was one of the hardest-hit places. It received 648 millimeters (25 inches) of rain in just one day — the highest ever for November. More than 1,000 homes in Suao were flooded.

“The water came in so quickly,” said Hung Chun-yi, a fisherman from Suao. He spent the night cleaning mud from his house after water flooded the first floor up to 60 centimeters deep. “It rained so much and so fast that the drainage could not handle it,” he added.

Other residents also spent hours clearing mud and debris from their homes once the heavy rain stopped. Emergency teams continued to work through the day to deliver food and provide shelter for affected families.

Weather experts said the typhoon was made worse by a northern monsoon that brought even more rain to the region. Huang En-hong, a forecaster from Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, said that the weather pattern was unusual. “Summer is getting longer, and typhoons are arriving later and later,” he noted.

He added that climate change may be causing stronger and more unpredictable storms, though more research is needed to confirm this trend.

Typhoon Fung-wong, which earlier hit the Philippines, had already killed 27 people there before moving toward Taiwan. The storm weakened after crossing the island and is expected to move into the Pacific Ocean later on Wednesday.

This is not the first time Taiwan has been hit hard by typhoons this year. In September, another powerful storm caused flooding in Hualien, killing 18 people.

Authorities said that this week’s typhoon did not directly affect Hsinchu, the northern city that is home to TSMC, the world’s largest computer chipmaker. However, experts warned that repeated extreme weather events could put pressure on the country’s economy and infrastructure.

The Taiwanese government has promised to provide support to those affected by the floods. Relief teams have been sent to the disaster zones with food, medical supplies, and clean water. Roads are being cleared, and power lines are being repaired to restore normal life as soon as possible.

Typhoon Fung-wong has again shown the growing risks that island nations face from changing weather patterns. As storms become more unpredictable, experts say better planning and stronger disaster response systems will be key to saving lives in the future.

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