Typhoon Bawei approaches as Pingtung completes emergency levee repairs after breach

Emergency repairs have been completed on a breached levee in Linluo, Pingtung County, Taiwan, after heavy rainfall from Typhoon Mikala caused the structure to fail, leading to flooding in Wandan, Xinyuan, and surrounding areas. The Pingtung County Government's Water Resources Department used sandbags to patch the breach and is now reinforcing the entire levee system in preparation for the approach of Typhoon Bawei.

This is the third time the Linluo levee has breached in five years, causing significant public frustration and criticism from opposition parties. County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi has visited the site twice, urging faster repairs and a thorough investigation into the causes of the repeated breaches to find a permanent solution.

Lin Huan-wen, director of the Water Resources Department, stated that the temporary repairs are complete. The department is also seeking funding from the Water Resources Agency to rebuild older sections of the levee downstream from Shuixian Bridge, aiming to resolve the persistent waterlogging issues comprehensively. Local residents expressed relief upon seeing the breach repaired and are praying for no further incidents.