Typhoon Champi Blows Past Taiwan, killing and injuring 500
TAIPEI: Typhoon Champi brushed across Taiwan Saturday, killing one person and wounding more than 500, downing trees and cutting power as it continued to weaken and proceed north toward the Chinese coast.
Champi, which at one point was a super typhoon and one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, is decreasing but still has gusts of roughly 126 kph (78 mph) around its center, Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.
The storm was roughly 150 km (93 miles) east of Taiwan, the CWA said, after brushing over the island’s northeast coast in the early hours of Saturday.
The storm is now anticipated to turn north toward the Chinese coast and eventually sweep into southern Japan.
Taiwan’s fire agency reported the death toll remained at one: a man swept away by waves from the island of Liuqiu, with 527 injured during the severe wind and torrential rain.
Taipower stated at one time that more than 167,000 residences had lost power, but most had been restored.
The transport ministry said 242 flights had been canceled, better than Friday when roughly 1,000 flights were canceled. Squally rainstorms came and went in the capital Taipei, where toppled trees littered the streets.
Offices and schools in Taipei and much of northern and central Taiwan will be closed Saturday, the second straight day of shutdown.
Taiwan is usually very well prepared for typhoons, keeping casualties low. Storms can sometimes hit in autumn, though they are more common in summer.
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