Typhoon Malakas torrential rain batters Hsinchu, forcing over 1,000 evacuations

Influenced by the persistent circulation and outer airflow of Typhoon Champi, northern Taiwan and its mountainous regions have experienced severe winds and torrential rain, with the mountainous areas of Hsinchu County bearing the brunt and reports of disasters emerging successively. According to the latest statistical data released by the Hsinchu County Government, heavy rainfall has triggered severe rockfalls and landslides on multiple mountain roads in Jianshi Township and Wufeng Township, resulting in severe traffic disruptions. To ensure the safety of residents in the mountainous areas, local governments and relevant units have decisively taken preventive measures. As of 12:00 PM today, a total of 1,512 people have been evacuated from the two townships, and a large number of machinery and equipment have been mobilized to continuously clear the blocked township roads in an effort to restore basic transportation and communication in the shortest possible time.

Jianshi Township and Wufeng Township, which have suffered the most concentrated disasters this time, have long been high-risk potential areas during typhoons and heavy rains in Taiwan. With steep terrain and fragile geology in the mountainous areas, the moisture content of soil and rock has reached saturation critical points under the scouring of continuous heavy rainfall, making slope failures and debris flows extremely likely. The Hsinchu County Government pointed out that this round of wind and rain not only caused multiple slope collapses, but also resulted in at least three important township roads being completely cut off due to the coverage of a large amount of soil and rock, leaving some settlements virtually isolated. Facing severe weather, the county government's disaster response center did not lower its guard, maintaining close contact with township offices and police departments to carry out mandatory or persuasive evacuation operations for households at risk and residents living around potential torrent streams.

During the evacuation operations, properly accommodating more than 1,000 residents became a major test. The Social Affairs Department of the Hsinchu County Government, in cooperation with the offices of the two townships, activated multiple shelters and prepared sufficient daily necessities, warm clothing, and medical supplies for the evacuated residents. Some residents chose to stay with relatives down the mountain to temporarily avoid the storm. For residents who could not be evacuated immediately or who stayed behind in the mountains just in case, village chiefs and grassroots police officers stepped up patrols to report the latest disaster situations at any time. The county government emphasized that the evacuation operation aims to minimize the risk of casualties and expressed gratitude to the mountain residents for their cooperation and understanding during the disaster prevention process, demonstrating a high degree of disaster prevention awareness.

In addition to personnel evacuation and resettlement work, road clearance operations are also a top priority. The Public Works Department of the Hsinchu County Government has dispatched multiple emergency repair teams and heavy machinery into the mountainous areas of Jianshi and Wufeng. However, as the rain at the site has not stopped and is accompanied by sporadic rockfalls from time to time, emergency repair personnel must venture into the disaster area to carry out sludge removal and rock-breaking operations under the premise of ensuring their own safety. Due to severe loss of road foundations in some sections, repair work may take a relatively long time. Relevant units have appealed to the public not to enter the mountainous areas arbitrarily until the typhoon warning is completely lifted and the roads are officially announced open to traffic, so as to avoid danger and hinder disaster relief.

Judging from the disaster in the mountainous areas of Hsinchu County caused by Typhoon Champi, the impact of extreme climate on Taiwan's mountain environment and infrastructure is becoming increasingly significant. Whenever the flood season or typhoons strike, mountain road disruptions and personnel evacuations have almost become the norm. This not only tests the emergency dispatch capabilities of local governments, but also highlights the importance of national land conservation, the enhancement of the resilience of mountainous infrastructure, and tribal disaster prevention and early warning systems. How to further improve the evacuation mechanism and post-disaster recovery efficiency in the future while taking into account the livelihood rights and interests of mountain residents will be a long-term issue for governments at all levels to continuously review and strive for.