Taiwan Grapples with Flooding and Power Outages After Intense Weekend Rainfall

Severe weather impacts Taoyuan and Kaohsiung, highlighting infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Taipei, Taiwan - April 13: A weekend of heavy rainfall, brought on by a passing weather front, caused significant disruption across Taiwan, leading to widespread flooding in Taoyuan and power outages in Kaohsiung.

The northern city of Taoyuan bore the brunt of the downpour on Saturday, experiencing extensive flooding. The city's water resources department reported that 15 areas were affected, including Zhongli, Pingzhen, Bade, Guanyin, and Luzhu, with Zhongli facing the most severe impacts.

In southern Taiwan, Kaohsiung also suffered the consequences of the extreme weather. A live high-voltage wire snapped in Gangshan District around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, leaving 1,350 households without power. According to Taiwan Power Co.'s Kaohsiung branch, power was restored by 3:35 a.m. after repairs were completed.

Furthermore, the torrential rain triggered falling rocks on the Southern Cross-Island Highway, leading to traffic disruption near Jiasien, Kaohsiung. The affected section, starting at the 29km marker of Provincial Highway 20 Temporary Access Road 105, was scheduled to reopen later on Sunday, as reported by the Southern Region Branch Office under the Highway Bureau.

The events underscored the challenges Taiwan faces in managing infrastructure resilience in the face of increasingly unpredictable and intense weather patterns.