Taiwanese authorities are racing against time to move residents to safety as Typhoon Podul barrels toward the island’s southeastern coast, threatening to compound the destruction left by recent storms.
The Central Weather Administration warned on Tuesday that the mid-strength typhoon, with maximum gusts of 155 kph (96 mph), is tracking toward the city of Taitung.
It is expected to make landfall on Wednesday before crossing the island to strike the densely populated western coast and later moving toward China’s Fujian province.
Landslide Lake Raises Fears in Hualien
In Hualien County, officials are evacuating nearly 700 people over fears of flooding from a natural dam created by a landslide during a previous typhoon. The dammed water has formed a “landslide lake” that could overflow if heavy rains hit the region.
“We must especially urge people living downstream to follow government instructions and evacuate,” said Chu Chung-jui of the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction. He stressed that the area is under close watch by the national typhoon taskforce.
Torrential Rainfall Expected
Meteorologists predict that mountainous areas in the south could receive up to 600 mm (24 inches) of rain in the coming days. The deluge could worsen conditions in regions still reeling from July’s rare west coast typhoon, which brought record-breaking winds, toppled parts of the electricity grid, and left extensive property damage.
More recently, parts of southern Taiwan recorded more than a year’s worth of rainfall in just one week, triggering deadly landslides and flooding that claimed four lives.
Evacuations Extend Beyond Storm Path
Authorities in the south are also relocating residents whose homes were damaged in prior storms, fearing Podul’s impact could deepen the humanitarian crisis. Relief operations are running alongside ongoing repairs to infrastructure battered by earlier typhoons.
As Taiwan braces for Podul’s arrival, officials are urging vigilance and cooperation, warning that the coming days will test the island’s disaster preparedness yet again.
