Taiwan braces for Typhoon ‘Nepartak’

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The military mobilized thousands of troops and Premier Lin Chuan was briefed by emergency response officials Wednesday, as preparations for the approaching Super Typhoon “Nepartak” ramped into high gear.

The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) issued sea and land warnings for Super Typhoon Nepartak on Wednesday, respectively, at 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The bureau issued a warning to residents of Hualien and Taitung, including the outlying Orchid Island, to remain on the alert and to brace for strong winds and torrential rain by the fast-growing typhoon.

The region’s first named storm of the year is expected to be most strongly felt on Thursday and Friday.

The premier, before being briefed by Central Emergency Response Center officials at the Executive Yuan, urged central and local government agencies to jointly prepare for potential flooding and natural disasters.

Lin said coordination between all government agencies, especially the transportation, agriculture and economic affairs ministries, was critical to minimizing damage to property and lives.

He also emphasized the need for central government officials to work with their local counterparts in double-checking water pumping stations and sewage systems to prevent flooding in low-lying urban areas.

Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan said more than 35,000 Army personnel had been mobilized to stand by to assist flood prevention measures or rescue missions nationwide.

The Directorate General of Highways set up an emergency response team after a sea warning was issued by the CWB Wednesday afternoon.

Also, the DGOH will announce Thursday afternoon whether it will halt entry to high-risk highways such as Provincial Highway No. 9 or No. 8.

Officials urged the public to make use of the DGOH official website or mobile app, to stay up-to-date on the latest traffic news.

Local authorities on alert

Taitung County Magistrate Justin Huang issued orders for local authorities to update themselves on the latest developments in the typhoon’s trajectory, so they could minimize the impact and notify the public through mass media as soon as possible.

According to Huang, more police officers will be stationed along coastal highways Provincial Highway No. 11 and No. 9 to prevent the public from coming close to areas likely to see strong waves.

New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Hou You-yi urged all concerned department officials to assess all sewage and water pumping equipment to reduce potential flooding damages.

Business as usual
As of press time, all municipalities and cities have announced that schools and businesses will operate as usual Thursday.

Eastern regions including Yilan, Hualien and Taitung, expected to be the first to experience landfall ahead of other areas, were the latest to announce that school and work would be on as usual.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the super typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 190 kph, with gusts reaching 234 kph, the bureau’s data showed. Forecasters said the storm would continue to pick up strength before reaching the island.

The storm is named after a Micronesian term for a famous warrior.