Taiwan faced its largest typhoon in nearly three decades as Typhoon Kong-rey made landfall on the east coast on Thursday, bringing with it severe disruptions to daily life and infrastructure across the island. As the Category 4-equivalent storm hit Taitung, hundreds of flights were canceled, financial markets closed, and rail services were scaled down to ensure safety.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration reported that Kong-rey delivered gusts exceeding 250 kilometers per hour, causing power outages in nearly half a million homes. According to the weather authority, this storm is the biggest to affect Taiwan since 1996. Torrential rainfall accumulated up to one meter in some eastern regions, triggering widespread safety alerts and prompting the government to evacuate almost 10,000 residents from high-risk areas.
The typhoon’s destructive winds and rain caused severe damage, with some areas on Lanyu Island, also known as Orchid Island, experiencing gusts above 260 kilometers per hour. Local official Sinan Rapongan noted the anxiety felt by residents overnight as they weathered the storm’s ferocity. More than 1,300 households on the island lost power, though no injuries were reported. Tragically, one fatality was confirmed when a truck collided with a fallen tree in central Taiwan.
Environmental teams were dispatched to contain oil leakage from a stranded Chinese cargo ship that lost power in the hazardous weather, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest chipmaker, enacted emergency measures to protect its facilities and staff.
Warnings were issued as Kong-rey is set to skirt China’s Fujian province, with Shanghai preparing for potential record-breaking rainfall. In a message to the nation, President Lai Ching-te urged citizens to avoid risky behaviors and refrain from venturing outdoors until conditions stabilize.
As the storm continues its trajectory, Taiwan remains on high alert, with rescue efforts bolstered by the defense ministry’s deployment of 36,000 troops to assist affected areas.
