wfn.org | TCN: Typhoon Morakot devastates southern Taiwan

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>2998 Edition

>August 10~16, 2009

>Typhoon Morakot devastates southern Taiwan

>Reported by staff

>Written by Lydia Ma

Typhoon Morakot’s violent western fringe lashed Taiwan with  high winds and

heavy rain and resulted in unprecedented torrential rain in  southern Taiwan.

Central Weather Bureau estimated the amount of rain totaled 2,900  mm, causing

severe flooding in Taitung, Pingtung, Kaohsiung, Tainan, and  Chiayi counties

and cities. The storm, now forever engrained in Taiwanese  people’s minds as

the “88 Flood”, prompted Presbyterian Church in Taiwan  (PCT) pastors across

the country, World Vision, and Christian relief organizations to  spring to action

>with relief efforts.

PCT founded “88 Flood Rescue and Rebuild Action Plan” on  August 10th and

grouped devastated regions according to presbyteries to facilitate  long-term

care and rebuilding efforts. PCT also urged believers to pray,  contribute

>financially, and become volunteers.

According to reports, a small aboriginal reserve near Chinfeng  Township in

Taitung with about 290 families or about 1,000 people saw 51 homes  destroyed

when rain caused a nearby river’s water level to rise and  wash away houses. This

reserve falls under Paiwan Presbytery and local pastors are  already helping

residents relocate. Nearby local pastors and PCT General Assembly  have also

met to discuss financial assistance and relief efforts.

Eight aboriginal reserves in Taimali near Taitung area are  virtually inaccessible

when it comes to delivering aid and supplies because typhoon  Morakot flooded

>or destroyed roads leading to these areas.

In Pingtung, a dozen of villages are submerged in water, including  Tungkang and

Nanchou, and church members in those areas report that more than  one floor of

>their houses are submerged under water.

Taiphoon Morakot’s damage to agricultural produce is  estimated to be more

than $1 billion NTD and food prices are expected to rise  significantly for weeks

>to come.

PCT Church and Society Program Secretary Chang Meng-yi accompanied  PCT

committee leaders to Pingtung’s Nanchou Church for a meeting  with local church

leaders, World Vision leaders, and other relief agency leaders.  Committee

leaders also delivered supplies from Tainan to assist residents  living in five

villages near Pingtung area, such as bottled water, lunch boxes,  cookies, and

other food supplies, and also passed on relief funds totaling  $50,000 NTD. With

the assistance of international organizations such as  McDonald’s, supplies such

as food and daily necessities were sent in on August 10th to help  victims.

According to PCT Indigenous Ministry Committee Secretary Omi  Wilang, about

160 houses in the aboriginal reserve of Minzu in Namasiya Township  in South

Bunun Presbytery have been buried by mudslides. Hundreds of  families from

nearby Minchuang and Minsheng villages have been forced to  evacuate due to

rising water levels from nearby rivers. Helicopters have  transported some of

these residents to Tainan and Tainan Presbytery’s Church and  Society

Committee member Rev. Song Hsin-hsi has already arranged for their  lodging.

In the village of Xiaolin in Jiasian Township in Kaohsiung County,  mudslides

covered over 200 houses and killed 7 people to date and more than  100

residents are still unaccounted for. Some sources speculate these  residents

might have been buried alive. Pingpu aborigines from Siraya tribe  make up a

significant portion of the population there. Rev. Pan Tsun-chieh  from Jiasian

Church is unaccounted for at the moment and PCT leaders such as  Chang have

already visited these regions to express concern.

Other areas such as Taoyuan Township, Kaohsiung County’s  Cishan Township,

Liukuei, and Meinong have reported broken bridges, flooding, and  collapsed

buildings, consequently trapping many residents and preventing  them from

getting help. Six church members from Rukai Aboriginal District  reported they

>saw their houses carried away by mudslides.

In Tainan, 12 areas including Matou, Yungkang, Rende, Danei, and  Beimen

reported severe flooding. Aletheia University in Matou had to  relocate students

and professors to living quarters above the second floor on August  8th, before

evacuating altogether on the evening of August 9th. The most  severe flooding

occurred in the university’s gymnasium and staff dormitories  and it is reported

that some areas are submerged by as much as 10 meters of water.  The

university’s dining hall and kitchen have been utterly  destroyed by flooding.

Sinlau Hospital in Matou reported its second-level basement has  been inundated

and all equipments on that floor, mostly for physical therapy  purposes, have been

>destroyed.

Tainan Theological College and Seminary, located on the eastern  part of Tainan

City, reported some damages in its chapel caused by strong winds  and all of

Tainan city was without water for several days. Tainan  Presbytery’s Church and

Society Committee members have already convened a meeting on how  to help

relief efforts. Shoushan Presbytery’s Da-Shun Church already  donated $200,000

>NTD.

Chiayi Presbytery reported several churches in its area have  incurred severe

flooding, but no deaths have been reported among church members.

Many aboriginal reserves near Alishan have reported loss of water,  electricity,

and inaccessible roads. Lijia Church in Alishan reported many of  its members’

houses have been buried by mudslides and about 11 families from  Lijia

aboriginal reserve are unaccounted for. More than 10 students from  National

Chung Cheng University who had gone to Lijia Church to help out  reported

recently they were stuck in the mountains and unable to get out.  The students are

safe and the military has been contacted to help drop off  supplies.

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