Taiwan suspended schools, workplaces, and financial markets on Friday, October 23, as powerful Typhoon Champi approached the island. The severe weather system triggered widespread emergency evacuations, hundreds of flight cancellations across East Asia, and urgent preparations for catastrophic flooding and landslides.
Authorities issued severe weather warnings, noting that northeastern Taiwan faced particularly hazardous conditions. According to government officials, at least one person died and dozens more sustained injuries in storm-related incidents as the tempest bore down on the region.
Massive Transport Disruptions and Flight Cancellations
The impact of Typhoon Champi quickly rippled across East Asia’s transportation networks. Taiwanese authorities cancelled all 262 domestic flights and more than 660 international flights scheduled for Friday. Regional railway and ferry services were entirely suspended, while key highways faced proactive closures ahead of landfall.
Neighboring nations also felt the strain of the storm. In Japan, major carriers including Japan Airlines and ANA cancelled over 100 flights between Thursday and Sunday, impacting at least 11,000 passengers. Transportation systems in China and South Korea also braced for disruptions as Champi plotted its northern trajectory.
Government Response and Evacuations
Following an emergency briefing, Premier Cho Jung-Tai urged the public to completely avoid high-risk zones, including coastal beaches and mountainous areas. Central Weather Administration (CWA) head Lu Kuo-chen stated that the typhoon’s expansive 320-kilometer radius would envelop the entire island, with peak wind impacts lasting through Saturday evening.
National Fire Agency Chief Secretary Cheng Chih Chiang directed local governing bodies on Taiwan’s eastern coast to evacuate residents living downstream from the vulnerable Wanli Creek landslide dam in Hualien. Holding five million metric tons of water as of Thursday morning, authorities feared the dam could breach under extreme rainfall.
“After it makes landfall, it will envelop the entire Taiwan. It will slowly leave Taiwan on the 24th and the 25th,” said Lu Kuo-chen, head of the Central Weather Administration.
Government figures confirmed that more than 1,200 residents evacuated their homes ahead of the severe weather. Thousands of military personnel remained on standby across the island to support immediate search and rescue operations.
Casualties and Meteorological Context
Disaster management authorities reported that one person lost their life after being swept away by violent waves in Liuqiu, a small coral island situated southwest of Taiwan’s mainland. Additionally, the fire department confirmed at least 94 injuries resulting primarily from traffic accidents and falls during the turbulent conditions.
Meteorologists noted that Champi had previously reached super typhoon strength while crossing the open Pacific Ocean before slightly weakening as it neared land. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center tracked maximum sustained winds at 176 kilometers per hour (109 miles per hour). Mountainous regions in northern and northeastern Taiwan braced for up to 900 millimeters (35 inches) of rainfall.
Scientists attribute the high frequency of intense regional storms to an unusually strong El Niño cycle heating Pacific waters. After battering Taiwan, Typhoon Champi is expected to skirt China’s eastern coast before tracking toward Japan over the weekend.
