Typhoon Dujuan blacked out thousands of homes, uprooted trees
and drenched Taiwan with rain early Tuesday before churning toward
Hong Kong and the mainland. A college student was missing after a
river swept her away, officials said.
Packing winds of 155 kph (96 mph), the storm lashed southern
Taiwan during the night, leaving a trail of debris. In the beach
resort town of Kenting, TVBS cable news showed streets covered with
fallen trees, broken glass, twisted store signs and motor scooters
knocked over by the powerful gusts.
TVBS also showed a helicopter rescuing a watermelon farmer from
a raging river created by flash floods in mountainous Hualien
County on the east coast.
A swollen river carried away a 23-year-old college student in
the east coast county of Taitung, disaster officials said. The
woman, Yen Min-ju, was working on a wildlife research project, the
officials said.
The storm's eye passed just south of Taiwan's southern tip, and
at 0300 GMT Dujuan's center was about 360 km (225 miles) west of
Taiwan. By late morning, weather officials lifted land warnings for
Taiwan's main island and said that sea warnings might be dropped by
the end of Tuesday.
The typhoon's speed decreased slightly, and it was moving at 26
kph (16.25 mph) toward Hong Kong and the mainland's southern
province of Guangdong.
Although there was little wind and no rain in Hong Kong during
the morning, the territory's flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific
Airways, said it suspended all inbound and outbound flights from
0900 GMT Tuesday because of the storm. The flights may remain
suspended until late Wednesday morning, the airline said.
Hong Kong's Education Bureau said it suspended classes at all
schools on Tuesday.
Taiwan officials spent most of the morning assessing the damage
from Dujuan, the Mandarin word for azalea.
On Taiwan's southeastern coast, two unmanned ships were ripped
loose from their moorings in Fukang harbor. Fallen billboards,
scaffolding and trees hindered traffic on several roads in southern
Taiwan.
About 146,000 homes were still without power. However, the
figure was significantly lower than the 580,000 homes blacked out
earlier in the morning. The utility said 17,000 of the homes were
in Taitung, and 114,000 were in the Pingtung area.
Dujuan dumped the most rain in the town of Maopitou on Taiwan's
southern tip, where 511 millimeters (20 inches) were recorded. In
some areas of Hualien County, 245 millimeters (10 inches) of rain
fell.
Much of the damage from typhoons often happens after the storm
passes. That's when soggy ground gives way, causing fatal mudslides
on this densely populated island. Two years ago, Typhoon Toraji
triggered mudslides and flooding that killed more than 200
people.
Taipei missed the worst of the storm, but showers soaked the
northern city throughout the night.
Taiwan frequently finds itself in the path of typhoons between
June and September, but a major storm has yet to hit the island
during this storm season. Most of the storms have veered away from
the island or lost their strength as they drew near.
(China Daily September 2, 2003)
