Bavi injures 113, leaves hundreds of homes in dark - Taipei Times

Typhoon Bavi lashed Taiwan yesterday, injuring 113 people, prompting the evacuation of 14,605 residents and knocking out power in 234,481 households, the government said.

Most of the injuries were due to people falling off motorcycles or bicycles due to strong winds and slippery roads, and others occurred during the typhoon preparations, Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) data as of 8pm yesterday showed.

No fatalities or severe injuries had been reported as of press time last night.

Photo courtesy of Taiwan Power Co's Taichung District Office

Due to flooding and landslide risks, 14,605 people had been evacuated nationwide, led by 5,182 people in Hualien County, 2,096 in Taichung, 1,700 in New Taipei, 1,671 in Kaohsiung and 1,496 in Hsinchu County, while 763 people were still awaiting evacuation nationwide, data as of 9pm indicated.

Bavi drenched Taiwan with torrential rain from early yesterday, prompting "red" alerts — the highest warning level for landslides and debris flows — for 45 areas, including Hsinchu County, Taoyuan, Miaoli, Yunlin and Chiayi.

The Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation issued large-scale landslide warnings for two areas in Hsinchu County and one in Taoyuan.

Photo: CNA

"Yellow" debris flow alerts — the lowest level — were issued in 214 streams in New Taipei, Taoyuan, the counties of Yilan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Yunlin and Chiayi, as well as other municipalities.

Meanwhile, 234,481 households nationwide had experienced power outages as of 8pm yesterday, Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) said, adding that electricity had been restored to 226,355 households, or 96 percent.

Of the 8,126 households that still had no power, 2,563 were in Hsinchu and 205 were in Taoyuan, Taipower said.

Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

As of 8pm, the CEOC said it had received 2,156 reports of fallen trees, and infrastructure and property damages caused by the typhoon, mostly in Taipei and Taichung, adding that 489 had not yet been addressed.

Central Weather Administration (CWA) Forecast Center chief Lin Po-tung (林伯東) at a typhoon briefing yesterday morning said Bavi had weakened slightly.

Still, its radius of level 7 winds remained 350km and its radius of level 10 winds was 120km.

Photo courtesy of a member of the public

As the storm moves over waters north of Taiwan, rain is expected to continue in mountainous areas of central and southern Taiwan.

Bavi's storm circle was expected to move away from Taiwan by late last night or early this morning, the CWA said, adding that sea and land warnings could be lifted as early as this morning.

Meanwhile, offices and schools in some mountainous districts and townships across Taiwan will remain closed today due to heavy rains and disruptions caused by Typhoon Bavi.

The areas include Taoyaun's Fusing District (復興), Hsinchu County's Wufeng (五峰) and Jianshih (尖石)  townships,  Miaoli County's Nanjhuang  (南庄), Taian (泰安) and Shihtan (獅潭) townships and Taichung's Heping District (和平), the local governments said.

Work and school will also be suspended today in Kaohsiung's Namasia (那瑪夏), Taoyuan (桃源) and Maolin (茂林), Jiasian (甲仙), Liugui (六龜) districts, as well as in Wanrong Township (萬榮) and Fonglin Township (鳳林) in Hualien County, according to the local governments.

The outlying Matsu Islands will also suspend work and classes today.