Taipei: Authorities issued 77 red alerts for potential landslides in New Taipei, Taipei, and Yilan County as heavy rain driven by northeasterly winds and a low-pressure system continued to impact northern Taiwan, the Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) said.
According to Focus Taiwan, New Taipei accounted for 50 of the red alerts, while 144 additional yellow alerts were issued across the northern part of Taiwan, including Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Keelung, and Yilan. One red alert for large-scale landslides was also issued in New Taipei, along with two yellow alerts in Taoyuan and Hsinchu, the center reported.
During a disaster response meeting chaired by Deputy Interior Minister Dong Jian-hong, the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR) noted that Xindian River had reached its first-level flood warning. Meanwhile, the Yuanshanzih Flood Diversion Channel in New Taipei’s Ruifang District was operating to ease water levels.
The NCDR warned that low-lying coastal and estuary areas in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, and Yilan remain vulnerable to flooding, while mountainous regions in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, Yilan, Taoyuan, Hualien, and Hsinchu have been designated landslide-prone zones.
In Hualien, monitoring of the Swallow Grotto barrier lake on the Liwu River showed no abnormalities, and authorities plan to begin phased dam excavation on Thursday. The nearby Mataian River barrier lake has also stabilized, allowing officials to lift its red alert earlier in the day.
As of 4 p.m., a total of 3,046 people had been evacuated from New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan, Yilan, Hsinchu, Keelung, and Hualien, including 873 from the Liwu River area. Of those, 156 were housed in shelters and 717 stayed with relatives. Dong stated that although the rainfall has eased, agencies should continue monitoring high-risk areas until the Central Weather Administration lifts its heavy rain warning.
