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Rescue teams mobilized across Taiwan continue their efforts in Hualien, where flash floods caused by Super Typhoon Ragasa have resulted in at least 14 fatalities. Many residents in Guangfu, a scenic tourist spot in Hualien, sought refuge in shelters on Wednesday amid fears of additional flooding after a barrier lake burst its banks, flooding the area with a wall of water. The lake, formed by landslides from previous heavy rains in the less-populated eastern part of the island, inundated Guangfu, prompting urgent evacuations.
Authorities are actively searching for the 129 individuals reported missing, with the number later rising to 152. Premier Cho Jung-tai emphasized the need to investigate why evacuation procedures in designated zones were not fully executed, clarifying that the focus is on uncovering facts rather than assigning blame.
As rain persisted intermittently, police issued new flood alerts, urging residents to move to higher ground. Many, including a woman named Tsai at an emergency shelter in a local school, opted not to return home until the risk subsides. Deputy Disaster Response Chief Huang Chao-chin assured that with rainfall easing and most of the lake’s water already released, the likelihood of a repeat severe flood has diminished.
Local officials noted that pre-flood evacuation recommendations were voluntary, and that vertical evacuation alone couldn’t fully address the situation. While Taiwan generally has robust disaster management systems due to its frequent typhoon activity, this recent event exposed some gaps in warning and preparedness, especially in Guangfu.
Guangfu’s residents describe the floodwaters hitting like a “tsunami,” with some escaping just in time. Fire authorities confirmed that all the dead and missing are from Guangfu, where a major bridge over a river was destroyed. The military has dispatched 340 troops to assist with rescue operations, with soldiers using armored vehicles to navigate muddy streets, distributing supplies and helping residents.
Approximately 60% of Guangfu’s population, about 5,200 people, took refuge upstairs in their homes, while most others stayed with family members. The lake’s overflow released an estimated 60 million tons of water, roughly filling 36,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. In a show of diplomatic goodwill, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office extended condolences, challenging their usual stance of non-interference and acknowledgement of the crisis.
Hualien is renowned for its natural beauty and indigenous communities, including the Amis, which are impacted by the destruction. The storm brought roughly 28 inches of rainfall to Taiwan’s east coast but spared the western regions, home to vital semiconductor manufacturing. The island remembers the devastation caused in 2009 by Typhoon Morakot, which claimed around 700 lives and caused billions in damages.
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