KAOHSIUNG: Southern Taiwan worked on Friday (Oct 4) to clear up damage from flooding and high winds after Typhoon Krathon slammed into a major port city, while most of the rest of the island resumed work and financial markets reopened.
Krathon, now downgraded to a tropical depression, hit land in the southwestern city of Kaohsiung, inundating streets, blowing out the windows of some buildings and scattering debris amid record-breaking winds.
While the rest of Taiwan resumed work, the governments in Kaohsiung and neighbouring Pingtung county declared another day off work as they scrambled to pump away floodwaters, remove fallen trees, and clear roads.
“We hope as fast as possible to resume transport, water and electricity supplies, so work and life can get back to normal,” Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai told reporters.
The city government said it was tackling more than 2,000 trees that had fallen on roads, but reported only two injuries.
Workers used cranes to remove downed trees and traffic signs in Kaohsiung, a city and surrounds of 2.7 million people, with some roads blocked, forcing diversions of traffic and pedestrians.
“Sandbags didn’t work. The wind pressed the water in anyway,” said Clark Huang, 49. “Fortunately it lasted only a couple of hours and then we started cleaning up.”
Engineer Tsai Ming-an was cleaning up his home after floodwaters about 20cm high washed through the entire ground floor.
“I have never seen winds like that,” said the 51-year-old. “It was so bad.”
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/taiwan-typhoon-krathon-kaohsiung-pingtu-flooding-damage-high-winds-4658191
