At the Cabinet meeting this morning, Premier Jiang Yi-huah instructed central and local government officials to take all necessary measures to prepare for powerful Typhoon Soulik as it barrels toward Taiwan.
A sea warning for Soulik was issued this morning and could be followed by a land warning tonight. Currently gathering steam at sea, the well-organized storm system will be nearest to Taiwan from Friday (July 12) to Saturday (July 13) and threaten northern and northeastern areas. As Taiwan braces for the first typhoon to approach and possibly make landfall this year, Premier Jiang asked government agencies to underscore to the public the importance of taking precautions.
Premier Jiang said large earthquakes had already rattled the Nantou area on March 27 and June 2, loosening soil that if soaked by heavy rains could trigger landslides. He asked the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), Council of Agriculture (COA), Ministry of National Defense (MND) as well as local governments to continue following the typhoon's movements and to make sure their disaster response personnel are putting contingency plans in place.
Jiang instructed officials to use all communication channels to warn people against going into mountains over the weekend since Soulik's effects will be most strongly felt around that time. The MND will notify its subsidiary units to ready their troops and offer local governments assistance where needed. The MOI, MOEA and MOTC will see to it that local governments are dredging sewers and rivers, shoring up water facilities and securing construction sites. The MOTC will begin closing off high-risk roads and bridges as a precaution.
The COA will ask fishery radio stations to broadcast messages advising vessels to return to port as soon as possible. In addition, COA repair crews will be on standby to protect disaster-prone locations. The MOI will check that disaster announcement systems are working smoothly, that civil affairs, police and fire departments are cooperating with local governments on evacuation preparations and storm damage reporting. With Soulik expected to cover Taiwan over the next few days, it will be important to restrict road access to mountains and advise hikers to leave the area.
Finally, Premier Jiang asked the MOTC to post advance notices of ferry suspensions to offshore islands, and if necessary, urge people to leave the islands early or shelter in place.