Taiwan Evacuates Hundreds Of People Anticipating Topan Podul

JAKARTA - Authorities in Taiwan evacuated hundreds of people from a possible Topan Podul route that is expected to land on the southeastern coast of the island. While the surrounding areas struggle to recover from damage from previous storms.

Taiwan is routinely hit by hurricanes, generally along its east coast in mountainous areas and rarely populated, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The medium-strengthPodul Typhoon with gusts up to 155 km/hour (96 miles/hour), is heading to the southeastern city of Taitung as its strength increases and is expected to land nearby on Wednesday.

In eastern Hualien, nearly 700 people will be evacuated from their homes to anticipate the risk of overflowing water from natural dams formed after the landslide triggered by the previous typhoon.

"We must specifically urge people living downstream to follow government instructions and evacuate," said Chu Chung-jui, a National Center for Science and Technology official for Disaster Reduction.

"The authorities are monitoring this lake of landslides carefully," he said at a briefing in Taipei for the typhoon task force.

Upon landing, the storm is expected to hit a densely populated west coast before heading to Fujian province in southern China this weekend.

600 mm of intensity rain is expected to fall in the southern mountainous region over the next few days, according to the Central Meteorological Agency.

Rainfall, which fell more than a year in just one week this month in several southern regions, resulted in landslides and widespread flooding, with four fatalities.

Authorities are also trying to evacuate those whose homes were damaged by the July typhoon that carried strong winds and damaged the power grid in a rare direct impact on Taiwan's west coast.

The swimmers on the beach near the northeastern Suao port were enjoying the last sunny weather before the high wave warning was issued and the coast guard closed the coastal area.

"Here, in the east, we always experience hurricanes or earthquakes, so we are not too afraid, but are used to it," said Yu How-ling, a beach visitor.