With powerful Typhoon Krathon barreling towards Taiwan’s populous southwest coast, the government has mobilised nearly 40,000 troops to be on standby for rescue efforts as the region braces for a storm surge.
The typhoon is anticipated to hit the Kaohsiung metropolis on Wednesday, with forecasters issuing warnings of potential storm surges and torrential rains. As a precaution, Taiwan’s defence ministry has put more than 38,000 troops on standby, while the coast guard is diligently searching for 19 sailors forced to abandon a ship when it took on water. Despite their efforts, a rescue helicopter had to turn back due to the harsh weather conditions.
With the impending threat, some flights have been cancelled, a rail line has been closed, and preparations are underway in the major port city of Kaohsiung, where shops and restaurants remain shut and streets are largely deserted.
Taiwan is no stranger to typhoons, but they typically make landfall along the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific. In contrast, Typhoon Krathon is set to hit the island’s flat western plain.
Krathon is expected to reach Kaohsiung early on Wednesday afternoon before travelling across the centre of Taiwan and heading northeast into the East China Sea, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).
Residents in Kaohsiung, home to around 2.7 million people, have been advised to stay at home and limit outdoor activities as the super typhoon approaches, labelled as such by the U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Li Meng-hsiang, a forecaster for Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, cautioned about the maximum intensity of the storm, predicting gusts of more than 150 kph (93 mph) for the southwest and warning that the storm surge could cause coastal flooding due to heavy rain and difficulty in discharging waters.
TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker and a major supplier to Apple and Nvidia, has activated routine typhoon preparations and stated that it does not expect a significant impact on its operations.
Off the southeast coast, Taiwan’s coast guard is working to rescue 19 sailors who were forced to abandon the cargo vessel Blue Lagoon as it encountered engine room issues. The crew, consisting of seven Ukrainians, nine Egyptians, and three Russians, had set off from China’s Caofeidian port for Singapore.