Experts warn of landslide dangers as typhoon hits Taiwan

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Typhoon Kong-rey (康芮颱風) struck Taiwan on Thursday (Oct. 30), prompting authorities to initiate landslide prevention measures in the northern mountainous regions, including Xindian District (新店), Pinglin District (坪林), and the New Taipei-Yilan border. 

Zhuoxi Township (卓溪鄉) in Hualien also faced severe damage as landslides and rainwater severed access roads, leaving the area isolated. The Suhua Highway (蘇花公路) remains closed due to landslide risks, with repair efforts hampered by ongoing adverse weather. 

Chen Wen-shan (陳文山), a professor at National Taiwan University's (NTU) Department of Geosciences, warned that hourly rainfall exceeding 50-60 millimeters or cumulative rainfall reaching 800-1,000 millimeters could destabilize slopes, heightening the risk of disasters.

Johnson Kung (拱祥生), a board member of the Taipei Professional Civil Engineers Association (台北市土木技師公會), explained that softened natural slopes create infiltration zones, reducing soil and rock strength. He noted that 150 millimeters of rainfall could easily trigger landslides.

Frequent earthquakes this year have exacerbated these risks by increasing the water absorption capacity in loose soil and rocks, which Kung described as a ticking time bomb.

Experts emphasize adapting strategies to local conditions as the best approach to countering landslide threats, suggesting that small-to-medium-scale slope collapses can be mitigated through artificial interventions.

Authorities must ensure that recovery from such natural disasters does not become overly burdensome, as these events test infrastructure and endanger lives and property.