Typhoon Danas carved an unprecedented path through Taiwan, making its first recorded landfall in Chiayi County late Sunday before tracking northward along the west coast. The storm claimed two lives – a 60-year-old man dependent on a ventilator during a power outage and a 69-year-old motorist struck by a falling tree. Nearly 500 others sustained injuries as the typhoon unleashed 222 km/h wind gusts.
The tempest plunged nearly half a million households into darkness, with 400,000 still without power Monday morning. Southern Taiwan bore the brunt with over 500mm of rainfall, triggering evacuations of 3,500 residents, particularly from Kaohsiung’s mountainous regions. Transportation chaos ensued with 33 international flights canceled at Taiwan’s airports.
Meteorologists noted Danas’ exceptional trajectory, marking the first typhoon to directly hit Chiayi County. While the storm exited Taiwan’s landmass by Monday morning, residual downpours continued to lash the island. The disaster response remains ongoing as authorities work to restore utilities and assess full damage to infrastructure and agriculture.
Taiwan’s annual typhoon season typically peaks between July-October, but climate scientists suggest warming oceans may be contributing to more intense and unpredictable storm patterns in recent years.