Tainan: The Tainan City Government announced on Thursday the cancellation of its urban resilience drills initially planned for July 16. This decision was made to focus on disaster relief and reconstruction efforts following the impact of Typhoon Danas on southern Taiwan.
According to Focus Taiwan, Chiayi City and County governments also canceled their drills, which were scheduled for July 15, for similar reasons. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che stated at a press conference that restoration efforts are underway to reinstate power and water to areas affected by the typhoon. The storm resulted in power outages for 282,000 households and caused more than 600 utility poles to collapse.
By 7 a.m. Thursday, 84 percent of the power supply had been restored, yet 44,000 households remained without electricity. Water services were disrupted for 12,809 households, and some areas experienced low water pressure due to power failures. Most water services have been restored, with a few areas still dependent on water trucks.
Since July 5, Tainan has opened 29 shelters, accommodating a total of 314 people. Currently, eight shelters remain open, providing a temporary home for 53 individuals. Mayor Huang mentioned the deployment of over 1,300 military personnel to assist with disaster relief efforts, despite the ongoing Han Kuang drills. Deputy Mayor Yeh Tse-shan has been dispatched to the Cabinet to request central government aid and equipment to expedite recovery operations.
In Kaohsiung’s mountainous regions, an extremely torrential rain advisory remains in effect until Thursday night, prompting the closure of several roads and bridges as a precaution. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) reported that Maolin District received 303.5 millimeters of rainfall between midnight and 11:30 a.m.
The Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation has identified over 90 areas at risk for mudslides or large-scale landslides. In light of this threat, the city’s Civil Affairs Bureau evacuated 2,007 people as of Thursday noon.
In Pingtung’s mountainous areas, under an extremely torrential rain warning, multiple roads have been closed as a safety measure, according to the Highway Bureau. The CWA noted that 20 weather stations recorded over 200 mm of rain within 11 hours in the county, with New Majia station reaching 391 mm.
Due to the severe rainfall, offices and schools in eight townships were closed on Thursday, and evacuations commenced in Manjhou Township’s Parius area at 8 a.m.
In Taitung County, where an extremely torrential rain warning is in effect, roads in Daren and Dawu townships have been flooded or obstructed by mudslides, as reported by the Highway Bureau. Consequently, the county government announced the closure of offices and schools in these two townships early Thursday morning.