Story perspectives

Typhoon Saudel Brings Record Rain, Floods Taiwan

8/24/2026

Summary

Story summary

Taiwan authorities closed offices and schools as torrential rains flooded southern and eastern regions.
Four people went missing in the floods, three in Hualien and one in Tainan.
Kaohsiung expects cumulative rainfall to exceed 1.3 meters over five days.
Taiwan Railway cancelled express trains and disrupted local service on the eastern coastal line.
Central Weather Administration said Typhoon Saudel will pass northern Taiwan early on Aug 28, bringing heavy rain without landfall.

History

Historical Context

The 2024 Kaohsiung floods, which prompted school closures and a 1.3-metre rain warning, echo the devastation of Typhoon Morakot in August 2009 that dumped a record 2,777 mm of rain and killed over 750 people. After Morakot, the Taiwanese government launched a NT$100 billion reconstruction plan and started new dam projects, yet the latest deluge shows those measures remain under strain.

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Story summary

Taiwan authorities closed offices and schools as torrential rains flooded southern and eastern regions.
Four people went missing in the floods, three in Hualien and one in Tainan.
Kaohsiung expects cumulative rainfall to exceed 1.3 meters over five days.
Taiwan Railway cancelled express trains and disrupted local service on the eastern coastal line.
Central Weather Administration said Typhoon Saudel will pass northern Taiwan early on Aug 28, bringing heavy rain without landfall.

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