Typhoon Haikui Leaves 44 Wounded In Taiwan, At Least 7,000 Evacuated; Landslides, Rockslides Expected

Typhoon Haikui has forced the evacuation of thousands of individuals in Taiwan and has left at least 44 people injured.

(Photo : Getty Images/I-hwa Cheng)

Authorities said that at least 7,113 people residing across 11 cities and counties have been forced to evacuate to ensure their safety.

Moreover, power supply firm Taipower has disclosed that a total of 48,506 households were without electric supply.

The Central Weather Bureau said that Haikui is packing maximum sustained winds near center of 30 meters per second. It is expected to move in the next 24 hours hitting the west northwestern track at 9 kilometers per hour.

At present, weather experts warned of torrential rains or extremely torrential rains in various areas, including the Taichung City Mountain Area, Yilan County Mountain Area, and the Hualien County.

Meanwhile, extremely heavy rains or torrential rains are also expected in Nantou County Mountain Area, Kaohsiung City Mountain Area, Pingtung County Mountain Area, and the Taitung County.

Residents in New Taipei City Mountain Area, Taoyuan City Mountain Area, Hsinchu County Mountain Area, Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County, Hengchun Peninsula, Yilan County, Lanyu and Ludao Islands have also been advised of heavy rains or extremely heavy rains on Monday morning until the afternoon.

On the other hand, a heavy rain advisory has also been raised in Keelung North Coast, Taipei City, New Taipei City, Miaoli County Mountain Area, Nantou County, Yunlin County, Chiayi City, Chiayi County, Tainan City, and the Penghu County.

Landfall

Haikui already made landfall at around 3 p.m. of Sunday in Taitung County near the boundary of Chenggong and Donghe townships, according to meteorologists.

It was then moving in a west-northwesterly direction at a speed of 22 kilometers per hour, packing sustained winds of 155 km per hour and gusts of up to 191 kph.

The said weather disturbance was expected to move into the Taiwan Strait as it was also seen to slow down, meaning the typhoon's outer rim may only pull away from the country on Monday evening.

Weather officials said that the massive heavy rainfall brought by the storm would trigger flash floods and even landslides. They noted that the mountainous Hualien County could experience a total precipitation level of more than 500 millimeters.

In addition to floods and landslides, Haikui also affected travel plans as 246 flights in and out of Taiwan, which were mainly on domestic or regional routes, had been delayed or canceled.

First in four years

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Haikui would be the first typhoon in four years to cross the Central Mountain Range running north to south of the island. Experts said that this was a path that could lead to landslides in surrounding counties.

To recall, the last major storm to hit Taiwan was Typhoon Bailu in 2019, which killed one person.

Bailu also led to the shutting down of businesses and schools as airlines also canceled hundreds of flights amid warnings of landslides, floods and high seas on the island.

So far, weather experts said that Haikui would not be as severe as Tropical Storm Saola, which hit nearby Hong Kong and southern China over the weekend.

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