With its winds of 140 km / h and gusts sometimes reaching 190 km / h, torrential rains, floods and gigantic waves on the coasts, the powerful typhoon Haikui hit Taiwan on Sunday, where more than 7,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas.
More than 200 domestic flights were canceled on Sunday and businesses closed in most parts of the east and south of the island.
At least 40 people were injured, including two in Hualien County, where a tree fell on a car, authorities said.
Haikui, the first typhoon to pass directly over Taiwan in four years, made landfall around 3:40 p.m. (0740 GMT) in Taitung, a mountainous and relatively sparsely populated region in the east of the island.
In the area, residents hide indoors in the dark and away from windows. Huge gusts of wind blow up uprooted trees and water tanks torn from their bases, according to an AFP journalist on the spot.
“I think this time it’s serious,” said Chang Jhi-ming, a 58-year-old retired mechanic. “It’s only just begun, the wind has just arrived and you can already see trees falling.”
Across the island, more than 120,000 homes were without power during the day. Half had the power back on by nightfall.
As of 9:00 p.m., Haikui had lost intensity and was near the southwest city of Kaohsiung with sustained winds of around 126 km/h, the Central Meteorological Bureau said, adding that “heavy rain is expected in mountainous areas in Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, Kaohsiung and Pingtung tonight.”
The last major storm to hit the island was Typhoon Bailu, which claimed one death in 2019.
Haikui, the first typhoon in four years to hit the central mountain range of the island, which crosses it from north to south, is likely to cause landslides in nearby areas.
“I remind people to prepare for the typhoon, keep them safe, avoid dangerous outings and activities,” Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said.
Huge waves crashed onto the shore at a fishing port in Yilan County (northeast), and in Taitung County, high winds and torrential rain plunged the landscape into a sort of whiteout, without any visibility.
“I had almost forgotten what it was like to be in a typhoon. How violent that wind!” exclaimed Huang Jun-tong, owner of a seafood restaurant, as he walked ensures that his establishment is well caulked. “And yet yesterday everything was so calm, it didn’t feel like a typhoon was approaching.”
The army has mobilized soldiers and equipment, such as amphibious vehicles and inflatable boats, in areas of the island where the greatest damage is feared.
According to the Meteorological Bureau, Haikui will cross the south of the island from east to west on Sunday evening before moving away over the Taiwan Strait by Monday evening towards mainland China.
Haikui is expected to be weaker than Saola, which raised high alerts in Hong Kong and southern China before degrading to a tropical storm on Saturday.
03/09/2023 18:03:48 – Taitung (Taiwan) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
