Typhoon Chanthu continues to intensify and bears down on Taiwan. After the 9th River Management Office, Water Resources Agency (WRA) convened the flood prevention preparedness meeting in the morning of the 8th, where the 9th River Management Office Director Hsieh Ming-Chang immediately requested colleagues to remain vigilant in light of the conditions of Typhoon Bailu in 2019 and to monitor the potential disasters of landslides in the mountainous regions of Hualien after the recent earthquakes. The colleagues must also check and implement various flood prevention preparation work to stay prepared, pay attention to the typhoon's track and minimize disaster risks and losses.
According to the 9th River Management Office Director Hsieh Ming-Chan, Typhoon Chanthu currently exhibits a similar tract as Typhoon Bailu in 2019 and the coast of Hualien is being pounded by southeasterly waves, hence the 9th River Management Office has bolstered the patrol and surveillance of the levees and 650 armor blocks were prepared for the Xinshe Levee, which bears the brunt of the typhoon. For river sections affected by Typhoon Bailu including the Ma-tai-an River Guangfu No. 2 Levee and Luozi River, disaster prevention and mitigation construction projects such as the Fengping River Dayu Levee, Xiuguluan River Gufeng Levee, Xiuguluan River Dewu and Hongye River Ruisui Levee and the Mugua River Chuying No.2 Levee were completed this year (2021) to prevent floods as well as protect people's lives and properties. Furthermore, the 9th River Management Office collaborated with Hualien County Government to reinforce the dredging of key river sections and regional drainage systems in a bid to expand the cros s-section of the stream channel and ensure a smoother water flow.
The 9th River Management Office pointed out that the Directorate General of Highways' Wanli River Bridge reconstruction project has applied for levee breach, and Director Hsieh led a team of colleagues to inspect the flood prevention preparedness in the afternoon of the 8th, where he instructed the contractor to strengthen the surveillance of rainfall and water level upstream, as well as prepare for contingencies in accordance with the flood prevention contingency plan. Moreover, the 9th River Management Office also keeps in contact with the Hualien County Government, reminding them to deploy pumps and pumping stations in advance and prepare the water gates. As for potential sediment disasters due to torrential rain brought by the typhoon, the office also keeps in touch with the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau and the Forestry Bureau to intensify joint regional defense, communications and reporting.
The 9th River Management Office elaborated that due to the strong winds and waves caused by Typhoon Chanthu, the public should beware of rising water levels by the river, stay away from rivers and the seaside. People living in low-lying regions should regularly clean up the surrounding gutters and remove foreign objects from their balcony drainages. God helps those who help themselves, the more you prepare, the less disaster damage you will suffer.