Saturday, August 8, 2009

Typhoon Morakot lashes Taiwan, surges toward China

William Ide in Voice of America News: Taiwan officials and media reports say Typhoon Morakot has left at least six people dead or missing as it passed over the island and surged toward China's eastern coast. Already, more than 20,000 have been evacuated from coastal areas in China and nine fishermen have gone missing after their boat capsized.

Forecasters at Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau say Typhoon Morakot made land fall late Friday, bringing with it winds of up to 199 kilometers per hour, and dumping between 1 to 2 meters of water on some areas. The storm has downed power lines, damaged crops and forced the island's high-speed rail line to suspend operations.

Local television footage from northern and eastern parts of the island showed heavy waves lashing Taiwan's coast and some residents fleeing their homes as flood waters rose. Some were reportedly trapped and forced to wait for rescue workers to arrive. Lo Ya-yi, a forecaster at Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau says the eye of the storm has already passed over Taiwan and the system is now headed toward China's eastern coast…

The track of Typhoon Morakot, projected as of August 3, 2009

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