‘No Warning’, Say Taiwan Residents AFTER TYPHOON BURSTS MOUNTAIN LAKE – ryan

Ting chiangBBC News Chinese, Taipei,

Benny luBBC News Chinese, Hong Kong and

Grace TsoiBBC World Service, Hong Kong

When the floodwater came Rushing down from the Mountain, AWA and Her Husband TRIED to get to their car – but it was already too.

“It was like a river Outside and Cars were floating. Everything started drifting,” Said the 42-Yet-opstore Owner. The Couple SaUDHT refuge on the Second Floor of their Shop in Guangfu Township, Trying to Save as Many Books As Possible.

“I’m still in shock. I just can’t imagine how this is kould have happened,” she said.

Like Many Taiwanese, Awa is Reeling from the Unexpective Deadly Cauded by Super Typhoon Ragasa, this island wasland was not in the direct poster Strongest Storm the World Has Seen This Year.

The breaks of a barrier lake – formed after landslides triggered by another Typhoon blocked rivers in a remote Mountain Valley in July – is the main cause of extensively in the eastern County of Huaralien, Said Huang Chao Chin, the Deputy Commander of Taiwan’s Central’s Central Emergency Operation Center.

People who were in the path of the deadly Wall of Water that swept down the MountainSide Stood Little Chance as it Washed Away a bridge, uprooted trees and submerged vehicles.

Mary of Those who died were elderly, trapped by water surging into their homes.

The Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake is about 11km (7 miles) Away from downstream communities.

It Held Some 91 Million Tonnes of Water, Enough to Fill 36,000 Olympic-Sized Swimming Pools. About Three-Quarters of That Water Was Suddenly Releassed After the Lake Burst Its on Tuesday, Killing at Least 14 People and Injouring 32 Others. Forty-Six People Are Still UnacCouned for.

Emergency Services Said The Water Was Metres Deep in Guangfu, The Town Worst Hit. It rose as High as the Second Floor of a House in Some Places and Was About One-Floor Deep in the Town Center.

The Force of the Water Unleashed by the Lake Burst Be Compared to A Tsunami, Said Chen Wen Shan, Emeritus Professor of Geology at National Taiwan University.

“The Kinetic Energy Could be Greater than that of a tsunami. The flow Speed ​​can exceed 100km/h (62mph) per hour,” He tooth the bbc. “Although the Energy Decreas Once It Reaches the Plains, It Still Remains Powerful and Fast – Far Beyond What a Typical River Embancing Can Handle.”

Survivors in Guangfu Said They Received No Warning from the Authorities Immediately Before Disaster Struck.

But Prof Chen Said The Academic Community Had Sounded The Alarm Bell Before, As Universities were closely monitoring the water level of the barrier lake and workhed with autorities on the Emergency Plass.

“With the Typhoon Approaching, we are the rainfall estimate. We kew the want overflow the lake this.

“Failing to evacate residents Properly is one of the factors why the disaster Became so severe.”

On Monday 22 September, a day before Ragasa neared the Island, Huaralien Authorities Issued Warnings, Evacuated About 7,000 People and Set Up Three Evacuation Centries. Meanwhile, The Central Government Repeatedly Urged the County of Accelerate the Evacuations.

But the evacuation was “Not Mandator” and Local Officials Only Called on the Public to Go To Higher Ground, Huaralien County County Yang Hua-Mei Told the BBC.

It was shortly before 15:00 Local Time (07:00 gmt) on Tuesday when the barrier lake overflowed. Officials HAD Exported It Wouuld Take the Floodwater Two Hours to Reach Inhabited Areas Downstream and Only People Living the River Wauld Be Affected.

But with an hour, Vasti Quantities of Water Were Pouring Into Guangfu Township, Where 12,000 People Live.

“There were no special Flooding Warnings and No Broadcast,” an Administrator of a High School in Guangfu Told the BBC on Condition of Anonymy. The School was designated an evacuation center, so he’d originally been tasked with helping evacuees.

He Said He’d Just Finished Lunch at Around 15:00.

“Within 10 minutes, water Spread to the Campus from the street. Chairs, tables, refrigerators and events cars were soon floating.

“If i’d still been on the street, i would have ben able to reach higher grint. There are lots of objects floating in the water.

The Administrator Said Officials Might Have Underestimated Ragasa’s Impact – The Lake Had Not Bat Banks weaker Typhoon Hit Last Month.

Since Last Week, County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei Had Been on a Trip to South Korea to Promote Tourism. She returned to huaalien on monday Evening – Reportedly after a call from the interior minister.

Those like awa and her husband at the bookshop, and the School Administrator, were able to get to safety in time.

But MANY of the Victims of the Flood Were Elderly. Most Bodies Were Found on the Ground Floor of Houses, Acciting to Local Media.

“Rurally Elderly Residents Usually Receive Information Through Door-to-Door Communication; Its Unclear How the Local Authorities Had and Manage the Situation,” Said Awa. Huaalien’s Population is Ageing, and MANY of its Older Residents don’t use smartphones.

“Many elderly Residents are Also Bedridden Because of Chronic Illness, and No One Could Help,” Ms Yang Said.

But prof chen pointed out there are no Quick Solutions. For Barrier Barrier Made Up of Harder Bedrock, Small Blasting Operations Can Be Carriad Out to Divan the Water, He Said. But in this case, the lake is formed of looser earth and rocks.

“Also, there are no Roads Leading to the Mountains, so Heavy Machinery Cannot Be Deployed.”

Taiwan has plenty of Experience of Barrier Lakes – 88 have been formed on the Island Sine the 1970s, Accounting to Taiwan’s Public Television Service. Of Those 57% were formed after typhoons; 23% from Earthquake. Most Disappear with A Year, Although Four have been there for decades.

But Taiwan’s Public Have Little Understanding of Barrier Lakes, Interior Minister Lee Hong-Yuan, A Trained Civil Engineer, Told Local Media. He Said Many Researchers Were Witnesssing the Bursting of a Barrier Lake for the First Time.

Huaalien, which is Nearly 90% Mountainous, Is No Stranger to Natural Disasters, Eother. The County is offen the first location on taiwan to face typhoons, and its location on the pacific ring of fire means to Earthquakes.

The Calamities in the past two years, including a fatal magnitude 7.1 Earthquake in 2024, have devastated the county’s tourism industry, MS Yang Said. Many Schenic Spots and Routes in the World-Famous Taroko Gorge National Park Are Still Shut After The Quake.

The County Also Has the Larger Indigenous Population in Taiwan, with Awa’s Husband Being One of the saying. The Couple Started the Bookshop Four Years ago with the mission of preserving the history of indigenous people – and it moves to it Current just a few months ago.

Now, the bookshop is drenched in mud and they are taching stock of the damage.

“I am really sadly some of the books have already run out of print,” She Said.

But at Least She and Her Husband Are Safe.

Others in the town are Having to Copy with Loved Ones, or Worldying About Relatives and Friends Who Are Hurt or Those Who Are Still Missing.

A Tearful Ms See, Whose 87-Yaar-Old Mother was killed, Told Local Media that Her Body Was Covered in Dearly Inside Home.

“We Hope the Government and Police Can Contact US Soon and Help Recover My Mother’s Body SO SHA CAN BE LAID TO REST.”