Typhoon Haikui hits Taiwan again

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【Summary】Typhoon Haikui unexpectedly made a second landfall in Taiwan, causing floods, downed trees, and continued rainfall. Over 7,000 people were evacuated, flights were canceled, and thousands of households lost power. Although there were no reported deaths, nearly 80 individuals suffered minor injuries. President Tsai Ing-wen urged caution and advised people to stay indoors and avoid coastal areas. Taiwan has mobilized soldiers and equipment to respond to the storm.

FutureCar Staff Sep 04, 2023 12:27 AM PT

Typhoon Haikui took an unexpected turn after initially appearing to move through Taiwan and out to sea. It made a surprise second landfall on Monday, causing floods, downed trees, and continued rainfall in parts of Taiwan. Coastal Taitung bore the brunt of the typhoon's initial impact, while the second landfall occurred in southwestern Kaohsiung. The typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm after the second landfall.

As a result of the typhoon, over 7,000 people were evacuated, hundreds of flights were canceled, and more than 217,000 households lost power. Although power was restored to some homes, 58,000 houses were still without electricity by Monday. Fortunately, there were no reports of any deaths. However, nearly 80 individuals suffered minor injuries during the storm, and significant flooding was observed in Kaohsiung. Schools and businesses in 14 cities remained closed due to the heavy rain.

Typhoon Haikui brought torrential rain and strong winds to eastern Taiwan, making it the first major storm to directly hit the island in four years. President Tsai Ing-wen urged caution and advised people to stay indoors, avoid going to the mountains or coast, and refrain from fishing or engaging in water sports. Taiwan's soldiers and equipment, including amphibious vehicles and inflatable rubber boats, were mobilized to assist with the situation. Haikui is now expected to affect southern and northeastern regions of Taiwan.

Compared to Typhoon Saola, which hit Hong Kong and southern China on Saturday, Haikui is considered a weaker storm. The Tropical Storm Risk tracker predicted Haikui to be a category 1 or 2 typhoon when it hit Taiwan. As Haikui moved into the Taiwan Strait and headed towards China, alerts were issued by China's national weather and ocean forecasters. Taiwan last experienced a storm in 2019 called Typhoon Bailu, which resulted in one fatality.

Sources: Reuters, AFP