Typhoon Krathon in Taiwan

As typhoon season rolls in, Taiwan braces itself for the unpredictable force of nature that shapes its landscape and daily life every year. One of the recent storms to hit the island was Typhoon Krathon, a significant weather event that stirred concerns across the country. In this blog post, I’ll take a closer look at Krathon’s path, its impact on Taiwan, and how it affected our local area of Toufen, Miaoli.

Living in Taiwan we learn to coexist with the reality of typhoons. While they can be disruptive, Taiwanese society is well-prepared for these storms, and the government’s swift action helps minimize the potential damage. 

For us in Toufen, it was a relief to have dodged the worst of Krathon’s fury, but it’s always a sobering experience knowing that others around the island were less fortunate. 

In 2024, Taiwan has experienced several typhoons, including notable ones like Typhoon Gaemi and Typhoon Krathon. As of October, there have been around 2 to 4 typhoons impacting or coming close to Taiwan, which is slightly below the average for a typical year. 

Typhoon Krathon began as a tropical depression in the Pacific, gradually gaining strength as it approached Taiwan. Its path followed the typical route of many typhoons in this region, heading westward from the Philippines towards the South China Sea. As it neared Taiwan, Krathon was classified as a medium-strength typhoon, with sustained winds reaching around 120 km/h (75 mph). The storm first touched down in southern Taiwan, then swept across the island, bringing strong winds and torrential rain.

Typhoon Krathon was initially expected to make landfall in Taiwan earlier, but it hovered off the coast before ultimately arriving on Thursday, October 3, 2024. The storm finally made landfall around 12:40 PM local time in Kaohsiung, a port city on Taiwan’s southwest coast. It was originally forecasted to approach Taiwan’s coastline as early as Wednesday, but its path and timing shifted slightly before it came ashore on Thursday. As a result of the typhoon, Taiwan was shut down for two days, with schools, offices, and financial markets closed. Around 240 international flights were canceled, and domestic flights were suspended.

Typhoon Krathon has had a significant impact on Taiwan, resulting in 2 confirmed deaths, 123 injuries, and 2 people still missing as of Wednesday morning (October 3rd). The typhoon caused widespread infrastructure damage, particularly in the southern regions, with over 1,000 incidents of tree collapses and road damage. There have also been reports of landslides in Keelung, Pingtung, and Taitung. Around 10,000 people have been evacuated as a precaution, and multiple flights and ferry services have been canceled across Taiwan.

Following Typhoon Krathon, Taiwan announced school and work suspensions in several affected regions, particularly in areas hit hardest by the storm. Southern counties like Taitung, Pingtung, and Kaohsiung, which experienced severe flooding and landslides, had mandatory closures for public safety. 

Living in Toufen, Miaoli, we were fortunate to be just outside the worst of Krathon’s path, but we still experienced the effects of the typhoon. As the storm passed, the skies darkened, and the winds picked up. 

Here in Toufen, the local government prepared in advance by reinforcing flood prevention systems, cleaning drainage ditches, and warning residents to stay indoors. Schools were closed for a 2 days, and the markets were noticeably emptier as people stocked up on supplies in anticipation of the storm. We were lucky that the power remained on for most of the area, although a few rural sections experienced brief outages. It was much better than in the south, where schools and workplaces closed on Tuesday, giving them an additional three-day holiday this year.