At least one person was killed and several others were injured when the strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in almost thirty years made landfall along the southeast coast of the island bringing with it powerful winds and heavy rainfall.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), Typhoon Kong-rey made landfall in Taitung county on Thursday afternoon with winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour (125 mph), which is the same as a Category 3 Atlantic hurricane.
Kong-rey’s radius of maximum wind, which measures how far the strongest winds are from its center, measured 320 kilometers (almost 200 miles) on Wednesday evening, making it the largest storm to hit Taiwan since Typhoon Herb in 1996.
More than 500 storm-related injuries were reported, and Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operations Centre (CEOC) claimed at least two fatalities.
Ahead of the powerful storm, local authorities ordered offices and schools to temporarily close, while Taiwan suspended trading on its stock market.
Taiwan generally has a strong track record of responding to major typhoons, though remote villages in more mountainous regions can be particularly vulnerable to landslides.
Taiwan’s military put more than 34,000 soldiers on standby to assist with rescue efforts, and nearly 8,600 individuals were evacuated from high-risk regions on Wednesday, according to the CEOC.
Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration reports that over 500 flights, including 300 foreign flights, have been canceled, and all ferry services to Taiwan’s outlying islands have been suspended.
High-speed train services are operating at reduced capacity, according to the rail operator, while the Taipei metro has ceased services on open-air parts.
