A Central Emergency Operation Center has been established to handle preparation for and response to Tropical Storm Fung-Wong, which is approaching Taiwan. The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) has issued sea and land alerts for the storm.
Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen, the center's commander, gave agencies the following instructions:
1. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) must remind local governments to take precautions against flooding in low-lying areas, ensure that water pumps are operating properly and actively dispatch and set up pumps in advance.
2. Given the possibility the rainfall brought by this storm will be concentrated in eastern and southern Taiwan, the Transport Engineering Group must pay special attention to the state of mountain roads and close roads preemptively depending on the level of precipitation there. Mobile road and bridge maintenance and repair equipment and personnel should be on standby and precautionary measures taken.
3. To protect residents in areas prone to mudslides, the Council of Agriculture (COA) must prepare for preventive evacuations, including readying shelter for evacuees, and take action in accordance with the level of precipitation.
4. The Support and Dispatch Group must complete the preemptive deployment of military personnel to at-risk areas and assist local governments with disaster response work as necessary.
5. The MOEA and Ministry of the Interior (MOI) must keep in close contact with the Kaohsiung City Government and ensure that sufficient precautions are taken in the sites being rebuilt following the July 31 gas explosions. Response work must be provided whenever needed.
6. The MOI must notify the cities and counties on alert to establish emergency operation centers in accordance with regulations. The personnel checking and reporting on the situation should remain vigilant and immediately report any disasters or casualties that occur while also passing the Central Emergency Operation Center's various forecast data and instructions on to senior officials.
Vice Premier Mao Chi-kuo visited the Central Emergency Operation Center on the evening of September 19 to oversee preparations for the storm. After hearing the center's first work report, he noted that Tropical Storm Fung-Wong's route is one of the hardest to forecast in recent years, but no matter whether the storm keeps on its current path or veers east or west, all units should continue to monitor it closely, carry out the necessary disaster prevention preparations, and issue advance warnings about flooding and landslides in order to safeguard lives and properties.
The CWB said that because there is currently a land warning for Pingtung County, residents there should be on their guard and take precautions against strong winds and heavy rain.
The sea warning area includes the Bashi Channel, Dongsha Atoll marine area, the south of the Taiwan Strait and the waters southeast of Taiwan. Through the Fishery Radio Station, the COA has notified ships operating in these areas to quickly return to port or move away from the path of the storm.
Coastal areas around Taiwan are reporting strong wind gusts. Southeastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula have already been affected by peripheral air currents and may receive heavy rain today (September 19) in certain areas. Large waves have been observed on the Hengchun Peninsula and in eastern and southwestern coastal areas of Taiwan. Hence, residents are advised to stay away from the seashore.
The Central Emergency Operation Center pointed out that the tropical storm is due to arrive on a weekend and called on the public to use their free time to take precautions and to avoid going to the mountains or seashore. National parks and scenic areas and forest recreation areas should also strengthen safety measures and encourage people to come down from the mountains, the center advised.
CWB weather data indicates that Typhoon Fung-Wong's storm radius will begin to affect the land area of the island of Taiwan tomorrow (September 20), with the main effects felt that day and the next, the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction stated.
From the forecasts of various countries, it can be surmised that the direction of the typhoon might change and a path directly over heavily-populated western Taiwan cannot be ruled out. Hence, people should pay attention to the latest CWB meteorological information and take the necessary precautions, officials said.