Log in

Typhoon shuts down parts of Taiwan for a 3rd day as it slowly nears island with extreme rains

Posted 10/2/24

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) — A slow-moving typhoon approaching Taiwan led to school and office closures for a third consecutive day Thursday, with authorities asking people to stay indoors.

Typhoon …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor

Typhoon shuts down parts of Taiwan for a 3rd day as it slowly nears island with extreme rains

Posted

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) — A slow-moving typhoon approaching Taiwan led to school and office closures for a third consecutive day Thursday, with authorities asking people to stay indoors.

Typhoon Krathon, packing fierce winds and torrential rainfall, was around 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the major port city of Kaohsiung on Thursday morning, traveling northeastward at a speed of 4 kph (2.5 mph), according to the island’s Central Weather Administration.

It was expected to make landfall later Thursday on Taiwan’s densely populated west coast. The typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds near the center of 137 kph (85 mph) and gusts of 173 kph (107 mph), is expected to continue to weaken as it moves inland.

The typhoon has brought Kaohsiung, a city of 2.7 million people, to a standstill for the past three days. Stores and restaurants have been shuttered, and residents kept away from markets and harbors. All domestic flights have been grounded for the past two days.

Storms attributed to Krathon injured more than 100 people in southern and southeastern areas of the island, according to Taiwan’s emergency response agency. Two people died — one after driving into fallen rocks on the road in the southeastern Taitung county, and the other while trimming tree branches in the city of Hualien. Two others remained missing.

Thousands were evacuated from areas vulnerable to mudslides and landslides. Almost 40,000 troops were on standby to help with rescue efforts.

Mountainous areas in the island’s south have seen up to 150 centimeters (4.9 feet) of rain over the past five days.

Typhoons rarely hit Taiwan’s west coast, affecting instead the mountainous, eastern side of the island.

The typhoon on Monday lashed northern Philippine islands, where four people were killed and at least 5,000 were displaced, officials said.