DistantNews
Support us
🇹🇼 Taiwan /Disasters & Emergencies

Wanli Creek landslide dam nearing overflow, red alert possible

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Hualien's Wanli Creek landslide dam is nearing overflow, with only 1.7 meters separating the water level from the spillway.
  • Authorities may issue a red alert this afternoon if heavy rainfall intensifies, as the dam is at 94% capacity and could overflow by tomorrow.
  • Evacuations are underway for 102 residents in Fenglin Township and some areas of Wanrong Township, with shelters open for those displaced.

A landslide dam on Hualien's Wanli Creek is on the verge of overflowing, posing a significant risk to downstream communities. As of midday July 15, the water level is just 1.7 meters below the spillway, with the reservoir at 94% of its estimated maximum capacity of 5.1 million cubic meters. While currently under a yellow alert, officials are closely monitoring the situation.

the dam body has the potential to continue to collapse and grow taller, as well as rainfall. If the afternoon showers become more obvious this afternoon, it may overflow in advance.

— Hualien Forest District OfficeDescribing the factors contributing to the immediate risk of overflow from the Wanli Creek landslide dam.

Central authorities are expected to convene this afternoon to discuss the potential for issuing a red alert, particularly if afternoon showers become more pronounced. Based on an average inflow of 200,000 cubic meters per day, the dam could begin overflowing as early as tomorrow. The dam's structure, formed by accumulated debris from multiple landslides, adds an element of uncertainty, with the potential for further collapse and height increase.

the water level is only 1.7 meters away from the spillway, and the dam body is formed by the accumulation of soil and rock from multiple collapses, which has a high degree of uncertainty.

— Huang Qun-ce, Head of Hualien Forest District OfficeExplaining the critical water level and the unstable nature of the landslide dam.

In response to the imminent threat, authorities have initiated evacuation procedures. In Fenglin Township, 44 households comprising 102 residents have been evacuated, with 28 currently housed in shelters. The township mayor, Lin Jianping, assured that shelters remain open and urged for more accurate early warnings from the central government to alleviate residents' prolonged displacement.

the reception center continues to be open, and residents are still being accommodated without letting them return home. We also hope that the central government's early warning can be more accurate, otherwise, residents cannot return home for a long time, and there is a lot of helplessness.

— Lin Jianping, Fenglin Township MayorAddressing the ongoing evacuation and the need for precise warnings for displaced residents.

Wanrong Township has also begun emergency evacuations for residents of Wanrong Village and the Xibao tribal area. Township head Liang Guangming stated that he was alerted to the imminent danger by the Hualien Forest District Office, prompting the urgent evacuation order for noon today. He anticipates the Forest District Office will recommend a red alert during today's video conference with the central disaster response center.

the Forest District Office will recommend the central government to issue a red alert.

— Liang Guangming, Wanrong Township HeadAnticipating the issuance of a red alert following the emergency evacuation of residents.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog