Typhoon Haikui made landfall on eastern Taiwan Sunday, unleashing torrential downpours, whipping winds and plunging thousands of households into darkness as the first major storm to directly hit the island in four years.
Typhoon Haikui made landfall on eastern Taiwan Sunday, unleashing torrential downpours, whipping winds and plunging thousands of households into darkness as the first major storm to directly hit the island in four years.
Nearly 4,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas, hundreds of flights canceled and businesses closed in preparation for the storm.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau said in a press conference the typhoon was “at our doorstep” and by 3:40 pm (0740 GMT) confirmed to AFP it had made landfall in coastal Taitung, a mountainous county in lesser-populated eastern Taiwan.
Residents hunkered down indoors in the dark, staying away from windows as strong gusts of wind sent toppled trees and dislodged water tanks flying in the air, according to an AFP reporter.
“I think this time it is serious,” said retired mechanic Chang Jhi-ming, 58, in Taitung.
“This is just beginning, the wind is just coming in and you can see trees toppling already.
