Seawater floods Keelung night market area, reaching calf-deep

Seawater surged into the Aisi Road night market area in Keelung on Saturday evening, flooding streets and damaging businesses. The inundation, which reached calf-deep, occurred around 6 p.m. as intermittent rains accompanied the approaching Typhoon Bai Lu.

Local shop owners expressed frustration, noting that the flooding happened despite no heavy rainfall. They reported that water emerged from drainage ditches, quickly submerging about 100 meters of the street and affecting over a dozen businesses. Some shopkeepers scrambled to install water barriers and bail out water, while others suffered losses from goods left in arcades that were not moved in time.

The city's Public Works Department attributed the flooding to high tides causing the Tianliao River to rise, leading to inundation in parts of Aisi Road, Renyi 1st Road Lane 303, Ai 5th Road, and Ai 6th Road. Approximately 30 centimeters of water covered the affected areas. Pumps were immediately activated, and mobile pumps were deployed to expedite water removal once the tide receded.

City officials, including Council Speaker Tong Tzu-wei and councilors Cheng Wen-ting and former councilor Chuang Jung-chin, visited the site to assess the situation. Tong emphasized the need for increased investment in flood control and drainage infrastructure. The Public Works Department stated that central government subsidies have been secured to construct a new pumping station near Aisi Road and install gates along the Tianliao River to better manage drainage issues caused by tides.

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In the future, more funding must be invested to strengthen flood control, drainage, and water management infrastructure.