Typhoon Haikui made landfall in southern Taiwan on Sunday. But Green Island off Taiwan’s southeast coast was hit first and suffered damage to homes and vehicles.
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A look at footage from Taiwan’s Green Island on Monday shows severe damage to many buildings and cars in the aftermath of Typhoon Haikui over the weekend. Missing roofs, broken windows, crushed cars and scooters, the small outlying island suffered some of the worst damage from the typhoon.
Some residents even posted before and after pictures of their homes to show how their roofs had been blown away. The damage also affected emergency services. The local hospital says their phone lines were down for a few hours on Sunday, forcing them to switch to using private switchboards.
Locals and stranded tourists have also had to live without running water, with some resorting to collecting water in buckets. At one of the only two convenience stores on the island, all the prepared food, water, and most drinks were sold out, with only beer left on the shelves.
One Green Island resident says that locals will probably need to rely on supplies for the next three to five days, as the last time a storm hit the island, boats back to Taiwan stopped running for six days. As of Monday, ferries and flights between the islands were still not operating.
As the residents of Green Island rebuild their homes and businesses, there is some hope that a return of tourism can put some wind back in their sails.