Thousands evacuated to safety as Typhoon Soulik approaches
Source: Agencies/Shanghai Daily |
01:45 UTC+8 July 13, 2013
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Print Edition
THOUSANDS of people have been evacuated in Taiwan and the entire island declared an "alert zone" as Typhoon Soulik approached yesterday, expected to pound the island with powerful winds and heavy rain over the weekend.
Chinese mainland was also making preparations in advance of the arrival of Soulik, which would make landfall in the eastern coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian today before moving inland, the National Meteorological Administration said.
Fujian has ordered 26,700 fishing vessels to return to port to take shelter from the wind. Some 7,400 old people, women and children living on fishing rafts, and 26,500 workers on fishing vessels have been evacuated.
About 1,200 soldiers are ready to work on possible disaster-relief operations.
Meanwhile, the flood control headquarters in Zhejiang's Wenzhou said 31,469 people have been relocated since Thursday and more than 9,566 ships ordered back to port.
Taiwan's Emergency Operation Center said more than 8,000 people have been moved from their homes, many from southern areas prone to landslides.
They have been taken to local government buildings which have been turned into shelters.
Offices and schools closed in Taipei and eight other cities, with residents advised to stay indoors as the typhoon churns towards the island.
Packing winds of up to 209 kilometers an hour, Soulik was expected to make landfall on the northeast coast at around 3am today, Taiwan's weather bureau said.
It downgraded Soulik from a super typhoon to a moderate typhoon but warned residents to prepare for "extreme torrential rain" and rough seas.
In the north, more than 600 residents were evacuated from six low-lying aboriginal riverside villages yesterday morning.
In Wuchieh, a township in the northeastern Yilan County - forecast to bear the brunt of Soulik - more than 2,000 sandbags were snatched up by residents and two amphibious military vehicles are on standby.
Waves as high as 1.5 meters hit the shore in Yilan yesterday afternoon as coastguards patrolled the beach to warn visitors to stay away while hundreds of fishing boats sought shelter.
"Many farmers have harvested rice, fruits and vegetables early as the typhoon is expected to impact our area," said Huang Hai-tao, an official in Jiaosi, a popular tourist destination in Yilan.
He said more than 90 percent of tourist bookings for the weekend had been canceled.
Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou urged government units and the public "not to let their guards down," after inspecting the disaster response center yesterday.
A coastal highway in Yilan where 20 Chinese mainland tourists were killed by landslides caused by Typhoon Megi in 2010 was closed. The storm has also disrupted air travel to and from Taiwan.
In Taipei's Songshan district, one politician toured the streets warning people to leave work and go home.
Chinese mainland was also making preparations in advance of the arrival of Soulik, which would make landfall in the eastern coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian today before moving inland, the National Meteorological Administration said.
Fujian has ordered 26,700 fishing vessels to return to port to take shelter from the wind. Some 7,400 old people, women and children living on fishing rafts, and 26,500 workers on fishing vessels have been evacuated.
About 1,200 soldiers are ready to work on possible disaster-relief operations.
Meanwhile, the flood control headquarters in Zhejiang's Wenzhou said 31,469 people have been relocated since Thursday and more than 9,566 ships ordered back to port.
Taiwan's Emergency Operation Center said more than 8,000 people have been moved from their homes, many from southern areas prone to landslides.
They have been taken to local government buildings which have been turned into shelters.
Offices and schools closed in Taipei and eight other cities, with residents advised to stay indoors as the typhoon churns towards the island.
Packing winds of up to 209 kilometers an hour, Soulik was expected to make landfall on the northeast coast at around 3am today, Taiwan's weather bureau said.
It downgraded Soulik from a super typhoon to a moderate typhoon but warned residents to prepare for "extreme torrential rain" and rough seas.
In the north, more than 600 residents were evacuated from six low-lying aboriginal riverside villages yesterday morning.
In Wuchieh, a township in the northeastern Yilan County - forecast to bear the brunt of Soulik - more than 2,000 sandbags were snatched up by residents and two amphibious military vehicles are on standby.
Waves as high as 1.5 meters hit the shore in Yilan yesterday afternoon as coastguards patrolled the beach to warn visitors to stay away while hundreds of fishing boats sought shelter.
"Many farmers have harvested rice, fruits and vegetables early as the typhoon is expected to impact our area," said Huang Hai-tao, an official in Jiaosi, a popular tourist destination in Yilan.
He said more than 90 percent of tourist bookings for the weekend had been canceled.
Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou urged government units and the public "not to let their guards down," after inspecting the disaster response center yesterday.
A coastal highway in Yilan where 20 Chinese mainland tourists were killed by landslides caused by Typhoon Megi in 2010 was closed. The storm has also disrupted air travel to and from Taiwan.
In Taipei's Songshan district, one politician toured the streets warning people to leave work and go home.
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