Typhoon Koinu brought strong winds and heavy rain across Taiwan, with the south being especially hard hit. But the strongest winds of the storm were actually measured on Orchid Island off Taiwan’s southeast coast. They were the highest ever recorded in Asia.
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In the aftermath of Typhoon Koinu, the extent of the wreckage done to Taiwan’s outlying Orchid Island is becoming clearer. According to the Central Weather Administration, wind speeds recorded on Orchid Island reached a record 95.2 meters per second. The administration says that’s the highest ever recorded in Asia, and the third highest globally. Some observers noted the coincidence that the recorded wind speed matched the time it was measured, 9:52 p.m, and with the postal code for the island, which is 952.
Nearly all the fishing boats moored in the island’s Kaiyuan Port were either overturned or are missing. However, satellite images show that as Typhoon Koinu passed over Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range, the radius of the gale-force winds was finally reduced from 250 kilometers to 150 kilometers.
Helicopters were dispatched early in the morning on Friday carrying disaster response workers to assess the damage on the outlying island. With them was Taitung County Magistrate Jao Ching-ling (饒慶鈴) who went to observe the situation firsthand. Interior Minister Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) is also expected to arrive Friday afternoon to inspect how the government can assist local residents in repairing their homes, and hopefully, returning to normal life as soon as possible.