Typhoon Champi Batters Taiwan, Killing One

Typhoon Champi struck Taiwan, killing one person and injuring more than 500, while bringing destructive winds, heavy rain, flooding, fallen trees and widespread power outages. More than 5,000 people were evacuated. Although the storm weakened after briefly reaching super-typhoon strength, authorities warned that heavy rain could continue through Saturday: the Central Weather Administration forecast up to 900mm over three days, and parts of Yilan County had already recorded more than 400mm in a day. Emergency crews were working to restore power to about 56,000 households, while shops in northern and central Taiwan remained closed and hundreds of flights were cancelled.

Typhoon Champi passed Taiwan on Saturday, causing one death and injuring 527 people as it weakened and continued north toward the Chinese coast. The storm had previously been classified as a super typhoon and was described as one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration reported that Champi was still producing gusts of about 126 km/h near its centre and was roughly 150 km east of Taiwan after skirting the island’s northeast coast in the early hours of Saturday. Forecasts showed it turning north toward China before eventually moving toward southern Japan. Taiwan’s fire department said a man on Liuqiu was swept away by waves and killed. Strong winds and torrential rain also caused widespread disruption, including downed trees and power outages. Taipower reported that more than 167,000 homes lost electricity, although power had been restored to most of them by the time of the report. Large parts of northern and central Taiwan, including Taipei, remained closed for a second day, with offices and schools shut and some flights cancelled. The article notes that Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, a factor that helps keep casualties low, while also observing that these storms, although more common in summer, can occur in autumn.

Typhoon Champi passed close to Taiwan’s northeastern coast on Saturday, killing one person and injuring 527, according to Taiwan’s fire department. The fatality was a man swept away by waves on Liuqiu Island. The storm brought powerful winds and torrential rain, causing trees to fall, disrupting flights and temporarily cutting electricity to more than 167,000 homes. Taipower said power had been restored to most affected households. Taiwan’s transport ministry reported 242 flight cancellations on Saturday, down from nearly 1,000 the previous day. Authorities in parts of northern and central Taiwan, including Taipei, kept offices and schools closed for a second day. Footage showed large waves crashing ashore and people struggling against strong gusts. Champi had previously been classified as a super typhoon and was among the strongest Pacific storms of the year. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said it had gusts of around 126 kmph near its centre as it moved past the island. The storm had earlier reached maximum sustained winds of 298 kmph, according to the Associated Press, but weakened as it approached Taiwan. On Saturday it was about 150 km east of the island, with its centre forecast to remain offshore as it turned north towards the Chinese coast and later toward southern Japan. Taiwan had largely shut down on Friday as the storm approached, closing schools, offices and financial markets and grounding hundreds of flights. Authorities evacuated more than 2,600 people from vulnerable mountainous areas. Forecasters warned that Champi’s broad wind radius could expose much of Taiwan to strong winds for an extended period. A CWA forecaster told Reuters that a direct landfall could not be ruled out if the storm changed direction or slowed near the island. The article notes that Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, which helps keep casualties low, although these storms can also occur in autumn.