Taiwan Grapples with Widespread Power Outages Following Typhoon Haulung

Tens of thousands of households remain without electricity as repair crews work tirelessly to restore power after strong winds and heavy rains caused significant disruptions across the island.

Typhoon Haulung has brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to Taiwan, resulting in widespread power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of households. As of 10 PM on the 13th, a total of 306,445 households had experienced power interruptions. While repair efforts have restored electricity to 267,939 households, approximately 38,506 are still without power.

The southern regions have borne the brunt of the impact. Taitung County currently has 12,605 households without power, with a cumulative total of 40,228 households affected. Tainan City is experiencing the most significant disruption, with 15,052 households still without electricity, out of a cumulative 59,282 affected households.

Other areas experiencing power outages include Chiayi County with 4,844 households, Taichung City with 1,747, New Taipei City with 892, Kaohsiung City with 885, Yunlin County with 834, Hsinchu County with 519, Taoyuan City with 432, Taipei City with 285, Nantou County with 264, Hualien County with 136, and Yilan County with 11.

The state-owned Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) stated that the typhoon's winds and rain have caused damage, with frequent line breaks reported in some coastal areas. The continuous heavy rain combined with strong winds has made repair work challenging. Reduced visibility after dark further complicates restoration efforts. Taipower is dedicating all available resources to expedite repairs, aiming to restore power to all affected households by the end of the night.

The Taipower Tainan branch explained that households still experiencing outages, particularly those in narrow alleys, coastal areas, or remote mountainous regions, may face slower restoration times due to their location at the end of power lines or severe damage from fallen trees. Taipower personnel are working diligently to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.