Taiwan Prepares for Typhoon Krathon To Hit Wednesday

TaiwanPlus News

Residents in Taiwan's south prepare ahead of the expected landfall of Super Typhoon Krathon on Wednesday.

Transcript

00:00Taiwan is bracing for impact as Super Typhoon KwaChon approaches from the southwest.

00:05President Lai Ching-teh is urging citizens to stay alert and avoid traveling to the mountains.

00:11KwaChon has been growing in strength as it makes a rare swing towards Taiwan's west coast,

00:16where 90 percent of the country's population lives.

00:19On Taiwan's mountainous east coast, where the outer edge of the typhoon first swung past on Monday,

00:25heavy rains caused mudslides and blocked roads.

00:29Two major airports there have grounded all planes.

00:32Outbound trains from the region have also been stopped.

00:35The storm is expected to make landfall on Wednesday morning

00:38and cut across the island to the northeast, bringing with it potentially deadly winds and rain.

00:44Our reporter Rick Lauer is live for us down in Kaohsiung, where the storm is expected to strike first.

00:50Rick, how's it looking there?

00:53Well, it had been the calm before the storm here in Kaohsiung today, light wind, light rain,

01:00but the weather is now deteriorating and the waves here in Kaohsiung harbor, they're picking up.

01:07This city of more than two million people, of course, bracing for what could become the storm of a generation

01:14and there are concerns that waves like these could turn into a storm surge, causing widespread flooding.

01:20Residents here doing what they can to protect their homes, their property from that flooding.

01:27They're putting out sandbags, barricading doors and windows.

01:31Well, the government has prepared dozens of shelters for people if they have to leave their home.

01:35Officials tell me there are enough space for 30,000 people.

01:40Meanwhile, outside of the city in mountainous areas, areas prone to flooding and landslides, evacuations have already begun.

01:50This 82-year-old retired farmer has had an uncomfortable night's sleep here on the floor of her local community center.

01:58She was reluctant to leave her home, forced to evacuate her super typhoon krafton,

02:04barrels towards her home in the mountains of southwest Taiwan.

02:07A lot of people can chat, they don't have to be afraid at home.

02:12They can just come here and hang out with everyone.

02:16The super typhoon is expected to bring intense wind and rain to this area over the next few days.

02:22This community center has been turned into a temporary refuge for those seeking shelter from typhoon krafton.

02:29About 20 people spent the night here where they're given food and a place to rest.

02:34That's because there's risks of floods and landslides in the region which could knock out roads,

02:40leaving people stranded and damaging homes and property.

02:44More than 1,000 people have been evacuated in this county alone.

02:49Across the country, Taiwan has mobilized more than 40,000 troops to aid in evacuation and rescue efforts.

03:05Krafton has been growing in strength as it makes a rare swing around towards Taiwan's west coast.

03:12The storm is expected to make landfall on Wednesday.

03:15Already schools and offices in some parts of the country are closed,

03:19flights are cancelled and the major east coast rail line halted.

03:23And out at sea, the country's coast guard lifted sailors to safety after their ship took on water.

03:30As Krafton edges towards Taiwan, residents of Kaohsiung, Taiwan's third largest city

03:35and home to more than 2 million people, are bracing for a storm surge,

03:39the city distributing a record number of sound bags.

03:51Taiwan is no stranger to disasters like typhoons,

03:54but a storm of this size hasn't directly hit the south in decades.

03:59As the wind picks up and the rain intensifies, residents here face an uneasy night,

04:05hoping that their preparations will prove enough come morning.

04:09The typhoon is still some 200 kilometers off this coast

04:13and it hasn't moved much in the last few hours,

04:16but it still packs a punch, it's still a very strong typhoon

04:20and it's projected to hit Taiwan in urban areas like this one.

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