Taiwan Residents Face Catastrophic Flooding as Typhoon Causes Lake to Burst

Tue Sep 30 2025 03:32:02 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A deadly flood in Taiwan's Hualien County has resulted in extensive damage and loss of life following the breaching of a barrier lake due to Super Typhoon Ragasa. Residents recount the shocking impacts and lack of timely warnings.

Residents in Guangfu township are grappling with the aftermath of a catastrophic flood triggered by Super Typhoon Ragasa. The breaching of a barrier lake led to a sudden deluge, resulting in 14 confirmed deaths and significant injuries. Many survivors reported receiving no evacuation alerts, highlighting critical failures in emergency management as Taiwanese authorities address the devastation.

When floodwaters rushed down from the mountains, residents in Guangfu township struggled to escape. Awa, a bookstore owner, described watching vehicles float by as she and her husband sought refuge on the second floor of their shop. I'm still in shock. I can't believe this happened, she recalled.

This disaster struck following Super Typhoon Ragasa, which, despite not being on a direct path through Taiwan, still caused significant catastrophe. The breach of a barrier lake created after landslides from a prior typhoon resulted in a rapid outpouring of water, devastating parts of Hualien.

The swift floodwaters washed away infrastructure, uprooted trees, and tragically trapped many elderly residents in their homes, leading to 14 reported fatalities and 32 injuries.

Authorities reported that the barrier lake contained approximately 91 million tonnes of water, enough to fill 36,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, of which about three-quarters spilled out after the dam collapsed. Eyewitness accounts likened the impact to a tsunami, emphasizing its unexpectedly destructive force.

Survivors indicated they received no prior warning before the flood struck, raising significant concerns regarding disaster response protocols. Although evacuations were conducted for some 7,000 people, they were not mandatory, leaving many residents unaware of the impending danger.

Experts stated that knowledge about the lake's situation had been communicated to the local authorities, suggesting that the failure to execute proper evacuation strategies significantly exacerbated the situation.

The landscape of Hualien, inundated with risks given its mountainous terrains and history of natural disasters, reflects a community deeply vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The recent calamities, alongside a rising average age of residents in rural areas, underscore the need for improved disaster preparedness and timely, effective communication to prevent further tragedies.

Among the personal losses, Awa expressed sorrow over the damage to her bookstore, which had recently relocated to preserve the history of Indigenous people in Taiwan. As residents begin the arduous process of recovery, questions linger about the effectiveness of early warning systems and the increased challenges posed by climate-related disasters.