The government will conduct an emergency drill today to test the response capabilities of central and local authorities to deliver disaster relief in the event of an earthquake and nuclear accident, and to mark the 13th anniversary of the 921 Earthquake.
On Sept 21, 1999, a magnitude 7.6 tremor occurred at 1:47am, striking the central part of the country, the deadliest natural disaster in post-war Taiwan.
The following year, the government designated Sept. 21 an annual national disaster-prevention day.
“Through mock drills, we wish to raise public awareness of disaster prevention. The better we can prepare for natural disasters, the less impact such hazards will have,” Vice Premier Jiang Yi-hua (江宜樺) said on Wednesday.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will be at the Central Disaster Response Center to oversee relief efforts among ministry members and local officials, Jiang said.
Ma’s participation in the drill will demonstrate that the government pays great attention to disaster prevention and mitigation, Jiang said.
Meanwhile, Premier Sean Chen (陳冲) has told Minister Without Portfolio Simon Chang (張善政) to work with Central Geology Survey of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the National Land Surveying and Mapping Center of the Ministry of the Interior, and National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction to establish digital topographic data for the country.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although