Typhoon Fung-Wong battered Taiwan on Wednesday with torrential rain and winds powerful enough to tear down power lines and halt transport across the island, forcing more than 8,000 people to evacuate as authorities warned of floods and landslides.
The storm-previously classified as a super typhoon-had already left a deadly trail in the Philippines, where at least 25 people were killed and over 1.4 million displaced before it weakened while crossing the South China Sea. By the time it reached Taiwan, Fung-Wong had been downgraded to a severe tropical storm, yet its impact remained severe.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued land and sea warnings across southern counties, including Kaohsiung, Tainan, Pingtung, and Taitung, urging residents to move to higher ground and avoid coastal areas. Schools and government offices closed, while emergency crews deployed pumps, sandbags, and heavy machinery to reinforce flood defenses. Taiwan's Ministry of Interior cautioned that "heavy rain had loosened soil in mountain areas," increasing the risk of landslides even after the storm's passage.
Air travel ground to a halt nationwide. All domestic flights and several international routes were canceled or delayed as airports in Taoyuan, Songshan, Kaohsiung, and Hualien faced intense crosswinds and flooding. China Airlines and EVA Air announced free rebooking for passengers stranded amid the travel shutdown.
Rail networks and highways suffered similar disruption. Taiwan Railways suspended services in the south after tracks were inundated and debris blocked multiple lines. Commuters and rescue teams alike struggled to move through flooded streets as the government mobilized military vehicles to reach isolated areas.
Power outages rippled across southern Taiwan, where strong wind bands knocked down electricity poles and uprooted trees. Taiwan Power Company reported extensive blackouts and dispatched repair teams overnight to restore service. Local media showed images of residents wading through waist-deep water and soldiers clearing debris in residential districts.
Fung-Wong's wind speeds had peaked at around 215 kilometers per hour (130 miles per hour) when it struck the Philippines earlier in the week, but the system still brought dangerous rainfall to Taiwan's southern coast. Meteorologists warned of "flash flooding and storm surges" as the weakened storm moved northwest toward the Taiwan Strait. Officials said the risk of floods and landslides would remain for several days due to water-logged terrain.
President Tsai Ing-wen urged citizens to remain indoors and follow evacuation orders, while local governments opened schools and public buildings to shelter displaced residents. Military units assisted in delivering supplies and medical aid to rural communities cut off by rising water levels.
Meteorologists and environmental experts have pointed to Fung-Wong as part of an increasingly severe pattern of tropical weather affecting East Asia. Taiwanese researchers have noted that climate models predict fewer typhoons overall in coming years, but a greater average intensity of rainfall and wind speeds. Rising sea surface temperatures and increased atmospheric moisture, they say, are likely contributors.
