Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead, more than 500 injured, and widespread structural and infrastructure damage in its wake as the powerful storm tracked northward toward the Chinese coast.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration reported that the storm was centered about 150 kilometers, or 93 miles, east of Taiwan after glancing off the island’s northeastern coast in Yilan County early Saturday. Having previously reached super typhoon status as one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, Champi maintained sustained wind gusts of around 126 kilometers per hour, or 78 miles per hour, near its center.
The storm’s trajectory took an unusual path around midnight when its center turned south, hugging the Yilan coastline before making a rare offshore loop and heading north away from the island. Coastal areas experienced fierce gusts reaching approximately 227 kilometers per hour, or 141 miles per hour, which brought down power lines and tore roof tiles from buildings.
“It was most terrifying around midnight,” said Lin, a retired resident in Yilan who spent the night inspecting downed banana trees in his garden. “It was a sleepless night. I haven’t seen anything like this in many years.”
Taiwan’s fire department confirmed that a man was swept away by waves off the island of Liuqiu, accounting for the storm’s lone fatality. Officials reported a total of 527 injuries resulting from the severe winds and heavy rainfall. Power utility Taipower noted that more than 288,000 homes lost electricity at the height of the storm, though service had been restored to the majority of customers by Saturday.
Transportation disruptions remained widespread, with the transport ministry canceling 242 flights. While significant, the figure marked an improvement over Friday, when nearly 1,000 flights were grounded. In the capital city of Taipei, intermittent squally rain showers accompanied downed trees, prompting authorities across a wide swathe of northern and central Taiwan to declare a second consecutive day of office and school closures on Saturday.
While typhoons are more typical during the summer months, autumn storms occasionally strike the region, for which Taiwan maintains extensive preparedness protocols to minimize casualties.
Meanwhile, across the Taiwan Strait, China’s emergency management ministry deployed a working team to the eastern province of Zhejiang in anticipation of Champi’s approach. Authorities warned of persistent strong winds and heavy rainfall through Sunday, placing more than 41,000 firefighters on emergency duty alongside 400 specialized rescue workers and 600 pieces of equipment.
In the coastal Chinese city of Taizhou, precautionary measures included recalling more than 3,800 fishing boats to harbor, evacuating offshore fish-farm workers, and moving 2,084 island visitors to safety. Regional authorities also suspended 18 passenger ferry routes and halted 25 offshore construction projects as the weakened typhoon continued its northward track toward southern Japan.
