Flooding persists in Hualien's Mingli Village after heavy rain

Taipei, Nov. 12 (CNA) Flooding in Mingli Village in Hualien County's Wanrong Township has continued for two days after the Matai'an Creek overflowed due to rain brought by Tropical Storm Fung-Wong and the northeasterly monsoon.

Lin Yuan-peng (林元鵬), director-general of the Water Resources Agency, said large concrete blocks were placed to block the flow from the creek but this could not stop the flooding.

Lin said sandbags and flood barriers were being set up downstream to reinforce protection.

He said the overflow reached Provincial Highway 9, before flowing into the Hualien River.

Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚) and Teng Tzu-yu (鄧子榆), director of the Hualien County Urban Planning and Public Works Department, inspected the area on Wednesday and confirmed the floodwater entered from the 231-kilometer mark of Highway 9.

The Hualien County government said it was maintaining close contact with central government authorities, monitoring the situation in real time, and dispatching flood control personnel and equipment as needed.

A resident from Mingli Village said the wave-dissipating blocks that had been used to protect the end of the embankment were removed for dredging before the storm and not replaced, allowing the floodwater to reach the village.

A resident surnamed Chao (朝) said their house was completely submerged and that the embankment needs to be extended before residents can live there safely again.

The Wanrong Township Office reported that 31 households were affected, including 19 homes and 12 workshops, and that 58 people were evacuated.

The office said 25 evacuees are staying with relatives and 33 had taken shelter at Wanrong Elementary School.

In other parts of Hualien County, places such as Fozu Street and Beifu Village, which were severely affected by flooding in September, endured the recent heavy rain without major impact, according to the county government.

After inspecting the sites Wednesday afternoon, Hsu said general drainage and storm water systems were functioning normally.

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) said Tropical Storm Fung-Wong eroded the Matai'an Creek barrier lake's overflow channel, lowering the water level by 9.3 meters and reducing the lake's volume by about 960,000 cubic meters.

FANCA said the reservoir's remaining capacity is about 690,000 cubic meters and that despite partial slope collapses, the overflow remains stable with no new blockages detected.