Typhoon Threatens Hualien: Over 900 Evacuated in Fenglin and Wanrong, Guangfu Numbers Pending

(Central News Agency, reporter Zhang Qi, Hualien County, September 9) The Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Super Typhoon Bavi. The Forestry and Conservation Agency's Hualien Branch issued a yellow alert for the Wanli Creek landslide lake and the Mataian landslide lake on the afternoon of the 9th. Over 900 people have been evacuated in Fenglin Township and Wanrong Township; the total number of evacuees in Guangfu Township was still pending statistics as of 7 PM.

The Fenglin Township Office and Wanrong Township Office, facing threats from the Mataian Creek, Wanli Creek landslide lakes, and debris flows, have identified approximately 900 people in 3 categories of protected households, each with different alert standards. Both township offices used the alert value of the Wanli Creek landslide lake as a benchmark. After the yellow alert was issued, all 3 categories of protected households were evacuated, and 5 days' worth of daily necessities were prepared in advance.

The Fenglin Township Office initiated precautionary evacuations early starting at 2 PM. In Senrong Village, located within the Lintian Mountain Forestry Culture Park, all residents, whether protected households or not, were completely evacuated. Bei Lin Village, a newly affected area, was also evacuated simultaneously.

The Wanrong Township Office initiated evacuations after the yellow alert for the Wanli Creek landslide lake was issued at 4 PM. A resident surnamed Wu from the 6th neighborhood of Wanrong Village said this is the third time they have been evacuated recently due to the Wanli Creek landslide lake. They simply stacked their belongings high and parked their motorcycles indoors, hoping for a safe overflow without causing disaster.

The Hualien County Disaster Response Center was upgraded to Level 2 operations starting at 2 PM. Vice County Magistrate Yan Xinzhang attended the online meeting of the Central Disaster Response Center, while County Magistrate Xu Zhenwei visited to inspect disaster preparedness, drainage systems, and shelter arrangements.

According to statistics from the Hualien County Government, a total of 14 shelters have been set up in Guangfu and two other townships. The Health Bureau is monitoring the placement of vulnerable individuals such as dialysis patients and bedridden elderly in health centers across the townships.

According to monitoring data from the Forestry and Conservation Agency's Hualien Branch, as of 5 PM today, the maximum storage capacity of the Wanli Creek landslide lake was approximately 5.1 million cubic meters. The current water storage is about 3.61 million cubic meters, with a storage rate of 70%. The lake surface elevation is approximately 1076 meters.

The Central Weather Administration estimates that Super Typhoon Bavi will have its greatest impact from the 10th to the 11th. The Forestry and Conservation Agency's Hualien Branch stated that due to the large amount of moisture carried by the typhoon, short-duration heavy rainfall may cause the landslide lake's water level to rise rapidly, accelerating its filling and causing an earlier overflow.

Huang Qun-ce, head of the Forestry and Conservation Agency's Hualien Branch, stated that the Wanli Creek watershed could be filled with 100 to 200 millimeters of accumulated rainfall. If the water level reaches full capacity, it is estimated to overflow in about 1 hour. The actual overflow time will depend on the actual rainfall conditions and cannot be predicted.

The Hualien Branch stated that if the Wanli Creek landslide lake overflows, the maximum flood peak is estimated to reach Xibao Bridge in about 45 minutes, the Provincial Highway No. 9 Wanli Creek Bridge in about 1 hour, and Jianying Bridge in 1.5 hours.

Additionally, the old landslide lake area of Mataian Creek currently has almost no water storage. However, the dam area, collapse zone, and river channel have approximately 240 million cubic meters of sediment, posing a potential risk of forming a new landslide lake and causing large-scale downstream movement of unstable sediment. The Forestry and Conservation Agency's Hualien Branch also issued a yellow alert at 4 PM.

The Hualien Branch stated that the criteria for issuing a red alert for the Mataian Creek landslide lake are based on rainfall monitoring in the upstream watershed of Mataian Creek reaching over 400 millimeters in the preceding 72 hours and the next 24 hours.

Guangfu Township Mayor Lin Qing-shui stated that the yellow alert targets precautionary evacuations for the elderly, weak, and mobility-impaired. Seven shelters have been opened, and as of 6:40 PM, 113 people have been accommodated. The number of evacuees is still being tallied. If a red alert is issued in the future, it is expected that 7 villages will be evacuated, affecting over 3,000 people.

In response to the sea warning for Typhoon Bavi, the Taroko National Park Headquarters has closed all park trails, ecological protection areas, and restricted areas starting immediately. (Editor: Huang Ming-hsi) 1150709

Stand with facts. Your every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.

Download the CNA "One-Stop News" APP for real-time updates.

The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.