KAHOSHUNG, Taiwan, Oct 3 (Askume) – Taiwan prepared to respond to Typhoon Kelasan on Thursday as it weakened into a tropical storm that has so far killed two people. The storm caused traffic disruptions on the island for a second day, with hundreds of flights cancelled and financial markets closed.
“Krathon” is expected to hit the southwestern port city of Kaohsiung around noon as a very weak Category 2 typhoon. However, the government is still issuing warnings for high tides, heavy rain and storm surge.
At dawn, residents of Kaohsiung, a city of about 2.7 million, received text message warnings telling them to take shelter from wind gusts of more than 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour).
“The wind is so strong now that I don’t even dare to go out and inspect the community,” said Lin Tsaiwang, a resident of Sanmin district.
The fire department said two people were killed as the incoming storm dumped heavy rain across the island. Both deaths occurred on the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast, with one man falling while trimming trees and another man’s car being hit by falling rocks.
The storm is expected to slowly move toward the flat western plains of Taiwan and weaken into a tropical depression late Friday before reaching the capital, Taipei.
All domestic flights were cancelled for the second consecutive day and 236 international flights were cancelled. The North-South High Speed Rail line has suspended services from central to southern Taiwan until the evening.
Taiwan’s financial markets were also closed for the second consecutive day.
Typhoons frequently hit Taiwan’s east coast, which faces the Pacific Ocean, but Kraiteng is unusual because it hit the west coast directly.
The Kaohsiung city government has been particularly vigilant in its preparations. The last time a similar storm struck was in 1977, when Typhoon Selma killed 37 people and devastated the city.
