Hsinchu County Mobilizes Full Resources Against Typhoon 'Bavi'! Magistrate Yang Wen-ke Chairs Storm Preparedness Meeting: Vigilance for Flood-Prone Areas

Typhoon 'Bavi' is steadily approaching Taiwan, with its outer circulation expected to bring significant rainfall and strong winds to northern Taiwan and mountainous areas of Hsinchu County. The Hsinchu County Government activated its Disaster Response Center at Level 3 at 5:00 PM today (9th), with an upgrade to Level 2 scheduled for 8:00 AM tomorrow (10th). Magistrate Yang Wen-ke personally chaired the typhoon preparedness meeting, closely monitoring typhoon readiness efforts by county departments, Hsinchu Gas, Taipower, Water Corporation, and the Hsinchu Reserve Command, standing fully alert.

Magistrate Yang emphasized during the meeting that the wind and rain brought by Typhoon Bavi must not be underestimated. 'Prevention is more important than relief, and evacuation is better than prevention,' he stated, urging all departments to shorten response times and demonstrate execution capability. He stressed the need for the most rigorous attitude and the most comprehensive preparations to fully protect the lives and property of county residents.

Yang instructed all departments to ensure pump testing and material deployment in low-lying areas, pre-position flood control materials, fully clear drainage channels, and strengthen typhoon preparedness at industrial parks and construction sites. Special attention was directed to flood-prone areas such as Zhubei and Zhudong, as well as underpasses, where pump units must be deployed and tested in advance. Mobile pumps and sandbags were pre-deployed to high-risk locations.

The Hsinchu County Government's Disaster Response Center was activated at Level 3 this afternoon, with a Level 2 activation scheduled for 8:00 AM tomorrow. (Photo: Hsinchu County Government)

In anticipation of Typhoon Bavi, the county's Public Works Department has fully launched typhoon preparedness operations, closely monitoring all roads, bridges, and drainage systems to ensure public safety. For traffic flood control, strict early-warning measures have been implemented. Two rural roads—Route Zhu 67 at 2K and Route Zhu 37-1 at 3K—have been preemptively closed due to ongoing post-disaster reconstruction, with detour advisories posted on the official website.

For vehicle-accessible underpasses prone to flooding, such as Zhubei's Zhongzheng East Road, Hukou's Dasheng Road, and Xinfeng's Datong Road, local offices have been instructed to inspect drainage pumps. CCTV and water level sensors have been installed for real-time monitoring, and standard operating procedures will be enforced. Underpasses will be preemptively closed if necessary. Additionally, the Public Works Department has pre-deployed four mobile pumps: two at Bazikuo Levee (Mao'erdin Trunk Line estuary), one at Fengshan Creek tributary, and one at Dongke Road underpass.

The department has also completed dredging of drainage areas including Douzipu Creek and Mao'erdin Trunk Line. Since July 6, approximately 1,600 meters of河道 have been dredged, removing 2,000 cubic meters of sediment, with 1,500 meters of河道整治 completed. Four severely damaged levee breaches in Hukou's Boluowen and Fenjiwo areas have been urgently reinforced with concrete blocks to prevent disaster escalation during the typhoon.

Furthermore, 5,350 meters of roadside ditches and nearly 6,000 meters of stormwater drains across the county have been cleared. Smart disaster prevention measures include 70 real-time storm drain water level monitoring stations and pre-disaster preparedness in eight self-organized disaster prevention communities. The Public Works emergency response team and contracted road maintenance companies are on 24/7 standby, ready to conduct immediate repairs and minimize typhoon damage.

Today, the Department of Economic Development conducted inspections and removal of wooden-frame advertising structures ahead of the typhoon, dismantling 20 units in total—1 on Huancheng North Road, 1 on Yanhe Street, 2 on Zhonghua Road in Zhubei; 6 on Chenggong Road, 10 on Shengli Road in Hukou. Additionally, 17 units near the intersection of Weide East Road and Zhongshan Road in Hukou Township have already been voluntarily removed.

Magistrate Yang expressed special gratitude to Taipower and the Water Corporation for their unwavering service and requested real-time updates to better serve residents. During the typhoon, the Police Bureau will strictly control access to coastal areas (e.g., Crescent Sand Bay) and mountain trail entrances—residents are urged not to visit for sightseeing or hiking. The latest typhoon updates, real-time storm information, and work/school suspension announcements can be found on the Hsinchu County Disaster Prevention Information Website (https://www.hsinchu.gov.tw/cp.aspx?n=381) or via the county government's official LINE and Facebook pages.