One of the most powerful storms in decades, Super Typhoon Kong-rey, struck Taiwan on Thursday, bringing waves as high as 10 metres, causing severe flooding, and claiming at least one life, according to officials. With maximum wind speeds of 184 km/h (114 mph), Kong-rey made landfall in eastern Taiwan on Thursday afternoon, as reported by the Central Weather Administration.
With a radius of 320 kilometres, Kong-rey surpassed Typhoon Gaemi, which hit in July, as the largest storm to affect Taiwan in nearly 30 years. “Its impact on all of Taiwan will be quite severe,” said Chu Mei-lin from the Central Weather Administration.
Work and schools were suspended on Thursday as residents prepared for the typhoon. Reports emerged of a woman killed in the central county of Nantou when a tree fell on her vehicle. The National Fire Agency also confirmed injuries to 73 individuals amid the violent weather.
“This typhoon feels very strong,” said office worker Kevin Lin, 52. “I’m used to the many typhoons in Taiwan and I don’t feel scared,” as reported by AFP news agency.
The storm brought intense wind and rain that only grew fiercer after the typhoon’s eye passed, as noted by a fire department official. Severe flooding was reported in Hualien County, with rescue and evacuation operations underway. “We are also handling incidents of falling signboards hitting people and fallen trees on the roads,” said fire chief Wang Ming-chung.
Although Kong-rey is expected to weaken as it moves across Taiwan’s mountainous terrain towards the Taiwan Strait, Chu warned that the storm’s impact would persist until early Friday. Meanwhile, around 35,000 troops stood ready for relief efforts, according to authorities, with at least four mudslides already recorded.
Transport services were severely disrupted, with over 400 domestic and international flights cancelled and all ferry services halted. Around 100,000 homes have lost power, officials confirmed.
Authorities evacuated around 8,600 residents from vulnerable areas including Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung.
President Lai Ching-te urged the public to avoid hazardous activities, warning against “dangerous behaviour” such as visiting beaches to observe the waves. Kong-rey is the third typhoon to hit Taiwan since July, following Typhoon Gaemi, which caused extensive damage and fatalities, and Typhoon Krathon, which struck in early October.
