Hualien: A barrier lake upstream of the Wanli River in Hualien County is anticipated to overflow on Friday morning, prompting a flood warning to be issued at 3 p.m. Thursday. This advance notice is intended to provide ample time for necessary evacuations, as reported by the Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC).
According to Focus Taiwan, the barrier lake was 96.76 percent full as of 9 a.m. Thursday, containing approximately 4.93 million metric tons of water, based on data from the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency's (FANCA) Hualien Branch. Due to the continuous upstream water inflow from the Wanli River, the lake is predicted to start overflowing around 8 a.m. Friday, as stated by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Hu Jong-i following a weekly Cabinet meeting.
The barrier lake, which was identified on June 21, initially had a filling rate of 7,200 metric tons per hour. However, the inflow rate has decreased to 6,200 metric tons per hour, according to Huang Chun-tse, director of the FANCA Hualien Branch, during a CEOC meeting, referencing the Chinese Association of Fire Protection. Despite no heavy rainfall forecast in the watershed and the stability of the natural dam, authorities caution that the lake is expected to gradually flood its banks, posing a potential risk to nearby residents.
Minister Without Portfolio Chi Lien-cheng announced at the CEOC meeting that a "red" flood alert, indicating severe flooding, will be issued at 3 p.m. Thursday. This measure is to ensure local authorities have adequate time to relocate residents to safer areas. Local governments will activate warning sirens, and military personnel will assist village officials in coordinating the evacuation to prevent anyone from remaining downstream near the river, Chi stated, emphasizing directives have already been dispatched.
While the overflow is forecasted to be gradual, Chi highlighted the possibility of a sudden breach of the barrier lake, necessitating Hualien's disaster response center to maintain a Level 3 alert. Consequently, downstream areas will persist as restricted warning zones. As of Wednesday afternoon, approximately 210 residents from the downstream warning zones in Fenglin and Wanrong townships have been evacuated to two shelters, where essential supplies sufficient for five days have been prepared, according to local authorities.