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The situation
Typhoon Nepartak made landfall on the eastern part of Taiwan at about 0600hrs on the Friday 8 July 2016, continued its path westward, and left Taiwan in the late hours of the same day. Initially a cyclone, Nepartak is now a category 5 “super” typhoon, with gusts of 175 mph recorded on Wednesday morning. The storm has caused waves of up to 14 meters at sea, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
The latest update from the authorities indicates three deaths, and 172 people injured. At this time 17,381 people have been evacuated and among them, 3,310 people are currently sheltered in government evacuation centres. Power outages have been reported for 130,797 households.
According to local authorities, thousands of tourists have already been evacuated from the Green and Orchid Islands, two popular tourist spots off the coast of Taiwan. If assistance is required by the government, the Red Cross staff will dispatch rescue teams and deliver relief items.
There have been serious concerns about potentially widespread flooding, particularly in the eastern counties of Yilan, Hualien and Taitung. The island's rugged terrain, with mountains up to 4,000 meters (13,000 ft.) stretching across the territory, increases the risk of flooding and landslides during a typhoon.
At this time, more than 900 milimeters of rain has been recorded. The most affected areas is in the Taitung county, which made up most of the injuries caused by the falling glass or debris falling on the streets. The government continues to caution the public about potential heavy rains especially in the eastern and southern parts of Taiwan.
Taiwan is frequently affected by typhoons, sometimes with a high numbers of fatalities. In 2015, super typhoon Dujuan killed three people in Taiwan and left more than 300 injured. In the same year, typhoon Soudelor killed at least 36 people in Taiwan and Mainland China, and caused billions of dollars of damage. The local authorities are well prepared for this typhoon; they have lifeboats, power generators, search and rescue aircrafts on standby. The situation is deemed to be within the capacity of the authorities and local organizations to respond and international support is not envisioned.