Hualien Works on Flood Prevention With High-Risk Barrier Lakes

TaiwanPlus News

Villages on the north bank of the Matai'an River in eastern Taiwan are working to prevent flooding and clean up the messy aftermath after Tropical Storm Fung Wong caused another barrier lake to burst. Although authorities have wound down all breach warnings, they're keeping a close eye on the lakes that are most vulnerable to downpours and quakes.

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00:00Excavators are clearing out one of the flooded roads connecting this riverside village scattered along a hillside.

00:09Help is underway for flood-stricken Mingli village in Hualing County.

00:14Residents there have put up a red banner that reads Cheer Up.

00:17After tropical storm Fong Wong brought heavy rains, causing the nearby Matai An River to spill into fields and houses by the riverbank.

00:26Fortunately, no one was hurt.

00:30Since last week, the Water Resources Agency has been dredging the river and blocking river water from overflowing into the village.

00:46This week's mission is to raise the height of the temporary flood barriers.

00:50And the extensions won't just protect Mingli village from more flooding.

00:54Residents of neighboring Changqiao village have also suffered damage to their homes from the spreading floods.

01:10Although authorities have lifted the red alert and let evacuees go back to their homes, they're not letting their guard down.

01:17Surrounding the original barrier lake is 100 million cubic meters of granular earth.

01:23With enough rain or earthquakes, it could all slide down and block the waterway, posing risk to the downstream villages once more.

01:32As Taiwan frequently experiences small and large quakes and torrential rain throughout the year,

01:37the possibility of a chain of disasters has kept authorities vigilant.

01:41Without a bulletproof solution to keep the barrier lakes from bursting again,

02:00flood victims are wondering when they can put their mind at ease and where the next flood might strike.

02:06Fu Hua Hong and Irene Lin for Taiwan Plus.

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