Taiwan issues red alert for Hualien landslide lake; residents receive emergency texts

Authorities in Hualien, Taiwan, issued a red alert for the Wanli Creek landslide lake on Thursday afternoon, as its water level neared critical capacity. The alert was broadcast via emergency text messages to local residents around 3 p.m.

The lake's water level reached 1085.18 meters, holding 4.9677 million cubic meters of water, which is approximately 97.4% of its total storage capacity. This proximity to the 1086-meter alert threshold prompted the immediate issuance of the highest level warning by the Forestry and Conservation Agency's Hualien branch.

In response, the Ninth River Management Office of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has finalized its flood control preparations. This includes pre-positioning personnel and equipment and initiating 24-hour monitoring of the landslide lake, the watershed's rainfall, and downstream river conditions. The office is coordinating closely with the Central Emergency Operation Center, local government, and other disaster response units to minimize potential risks to the lives and property of residents downstream.

Emergency flood control measures have been implemented, including reinforcing and raising dikes such as the Lintianshan, Senrong No. 1, Fenglin No. 1, and Fenglin No. 2 dikes. Additionally, concrete blocks have been placed to strengthen the slope and foundation of the Shanxing dike, and mobile water pumps have been deployed near the Jianying Bridge. These comprehensive preparations aim to mitigate the impact of any potential overflow from the Wanli Creek landslide lake.