In a devastating turn of events, Typhoon Koinu, classified as a category 4 storm, wreaked havoc in southern Taiwan, claiming one life and causing injuries to hundreds. The typhoon made landfall on Taiwan’s Hengchun peninsula on Thursday morning, leading to widespread disruptions.
Flight suspensions were implemented, and millions of people saw their daily routines upended as schools and workplaces were forced to close. Tragically, one person lost their life in the central city of Taichung due to flying glass, as reported by Taiwan’s fire department.
The impact of Koinu was starkly visible, with strong winds damaging buildings and trees. Orchid Island, off the southeast coast, bore the brunt, witnessing cars tossed off roads, sunken fishing boats, and shattered school windows. The island recorded Taiwan’s strongest wind in 126 years, according to the Central News Agency.
Transportation services were severely affected, with 46 international flights canceled, ferries to outlying islands halted, and domestic airlines calling off most Thursday flights. However, the high-speed rail connecting northern and southern Taiwan continued operations.
Kaohsiung, a key southern port city, faced significant repercussions, while Taipei, the capital and financial hub, operated normally and was marked safe. The heaviest rainfall occurred in the mountainous and sparsely populated parts of Pingtung county, as well as in the east coast counties of Taitung and Hualien.
The aftermath of Koinu is expected to linger, with substantial rain forecasted into Friday, primarily affecting the island’s south and east. Remarkably, Orchid Island’s weather tracking station reported the strongest wind in over a century.
As Taiwan copes with the aftermath of Typhoon Koinu, attention turns to its trajectory toward China’s Guangdong province, as indicated by the Tropical Storm Risk tracker. This unfortunate event adds to a series of recent typhoon strikes, including Typhoon Haiku last month and Typhoon Doksuri in August, underscoring the region’s vulnerability to such natural disasters.
