Premier Lai Ching-te today announced the completion of the initial round of recovery work from last week's torrential rainstorms in eastern and southern Taiwan. The storms resulted from the convergence of northeasterly monsoon winds with the peripheral cloud system of a passing tropical storm, and dumped more than 1,100 millimeters of rain in the Yilan, Taitung, Hualien and Pingtung areas. The premier expressed his deepest thanks and highest regard for the hard work and sacrifice of first responders.
The Public Construction Commission has already been directed to initiate an on-site inspection and review mechanism as part of a reconstruction program for October rain damage, so that funds can be distributed and rebuilding begun as quickly as possible, said Premier Lai. Additionally, the Council of Agriculture (COA) was tasked with reaching out to local governments to ascertain the extent of harm to crops and farms. The COA will assist affected farmers to apply for recovery payments, low-interest loans and other such measures to ensure that the government serves the needs of farmers and agriculture.