New barrier lake on Matai'an Creek overflows, flooding Hualien village

Taipei, Nov. 13 (CNA) A new barrier lake that formed on Matai'an Creek in Hualien County overflowed and flooded Mingli Village in Wanrong Township again Thursday afternoon, according to the Hualien branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA).

● Flooding persists in Hualien's Mingli Village after heavy rain

Huang Chun-tse (黃群策), head of FANCA's Hualien Office, said the overflow happened around 1 p.m., earlier than anticipated due to the natural dam's instability.

A drone survey carried out early Thursday spotted a new barrier lake around 300 meters from the original, FANCA said.

According to FANCA, the new barrier lake was formed after the right bank of the original collapsed, causing debris to flow downstream and dam the creek.

Based on drone imagery, the new barrier lake has a maximum capacity of 1 million cubic meters of water and covers an area of 7.6 hectares.

As poor weather conditions in the mountainous area have prevented further drone surveys, the actual water volume that overflowed remains to be assessed, Huang explained.

According to FANCA, a red alert remains in effect due to the formation of the new lake, and local authorities have been advised to continue implementing safety measures.

As a precaution, offices and schools in Hualien's Guangfu Township were ordered to close from 1 p.m. Thursday, while residents there and in Wanrong and Fenglin townships have been told to evacuate to local shelters.

Earlier in the day, FANCA said operators of heavy machinery working to block an overflow from an unprotected stretch of Matai'an Creek had already withdrawn their equipment from the site as a safety precaution due to possible overflow from the newly formed barrier lake.

Water from the creek's open section inundated Mingli Village after overflowing on Tuesday amid heavy rain brought by Tropical Storm Fung-Wong and the northeasterly monsoon.