TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Central and southern parts of Taiwan have been hit with torrential rain over the past few days that has caused landslides and flooding across the region. Most recently, mountainous areas of Kaohsiung City (高雄市) and Pingtung County (屏東縣) have been particularly affected by the downpours brought by the southwest seasonal winds. However, heavy rains have caused damage in the south since July 28.
In Kaohsiung City's Maolin District (茂林區), the rainfall reached 2.7 meters, which is near the national record of 3 meters reached in Chiayi County's (嘉義縣) Alishan mountain range in 2009 during Typhoon Morakot. At least four people have died, three are missing, 74 have been injured, and over 5,800 people have been evacuated. Constant rains have also reportedly caused a whole to appear on the runway of Kaohsiung International Airport (高雄國際機場) on Aug. 4, leading the runway to be closed for maintenance and affecting 42 international and domestic flights.
The rains have caused parts of several highways in Kaohsiung City's mountainous region to collapse. Kaohsiung's mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) has stated that the cost of reconstruction in disaster-striken areas could reach NT$1 billion, and that he hopes for the reconstruction funds allocated for rebuilding from Typhoon Danas (丹娜絲) could be extended to cover damages from the rainfall since July 28. In the City's Taoyuan District (桃源區), houses have reportedly been swept away in landslides, and the rains have crushed water pipes, leaving residents without water for several days.
In Tainan City's Liuying District (柳營區), more than 1 meter of rainfall caused a hillside to collapse, bringing down a home's garage and vehicles. Meanwhile, in the City's Nanhua District (南化區), heavy rains caused swollen streams, multiple landslides, and disruptions to agricultural product deliveries.