Taiwan’s Interior Minister Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) has called for heightened monitoring of river levels, landslide risks, and flexible deployment of water pumps in flood-prone areas as Typhoon Kong-rey impacts Taiwan.
The Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC) said on Thursday that Kong-rey will affect the entire island in the coming day. On Taiwan’s southeastern coast, 9.5 meter waves have been recorded, posing risks along the coastline. The CEOC has issued warnings for high tides expected between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. with flood-prone areas advised to remain alert.
Minister Liu emphasized the importance of continuously monitoring river levels and landslide risks, asking that teams responsible for water and power infrastructure, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and farming remain alert to rainfall levels.
The CEOC says there are 126 yellow alerts for landslides and estimates that by Thursday afternoon there will be around 530 red alerts indicating immediate landslide threats. Projected red alert areas include Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, and New Taipei, with ten additional large-scale collapse alerts expected, prompting local governments to strengthen preventive measures.