Typhoon Soulik: Taiwan And China Brace For Impact


Typhoon Soulik has residents of Taiwan and China bracing for impact. The eye is expected to make landfall in Taiwan on Saturday morning.

Officials are concerned as the typhoon shows signs of having more than one eye. Early indications are showing varied wind speeds between the inner and outer circles of the storm.

As reported by UPI, preparations are being made to ease the impact on residents. Schools and businesses were closed early to allow residents to prepare their homes or evacuate. Nearly 800 residents were evacuated from high-risk locations in the mountainous region. More than 1,000 were evacuated from coastal areas.

Travel will be affected as well. Several road closures, including major highways, have been planned for Saturday afternoon. Numerous flights have been cancelled and more are expected.

Farmers and fishermen were encouraged to secure their facilities and equipment, as the storm is expected to cause heavy damage.

Thousands of sandbags are piled around homes and business to prevent damage from flooding.

As reported by USA Today, Typhoon Soulik is currently around 200 miles away from Yilan County, Taiwan. Winds have been recorded at just over 100 mph. The storm is currently the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane.

The typhoon was originally categorized as a “super typhoon.” However it was downgraded to a “moderate typhoon.” Despite the downgrade, Taiwan has been declared an “alert zone.”

Residents are urged to follow evacuation instructions. Those who are not under evacuation are warned to stay inside. The worst damage is expected to come from torrential downpours, high winds, and destructive waves.

As reported by South China Morning Post, residents are still recovering from Typhoon Saola, which struck last year. Typhoon Saola killed a total of 29 people and wounded 16. Two people are still missing.

Typhoon Soulik is already impacting the local economy as travel is at a standstill. Over 90 percent of resort and hotel bookings have been cancelled.

Typhoon Soulik is expected to make landfall around 3am.

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