Yellow alert issued for Wanli Creek landslide dam in Hualien; evacuations begin in 8 downstream villages
Heavy rain is threatening a landslide-dammed lake in Hualien, Taiwan, and thousands of people downstream are being moved out — a serious risk for residents of Wanrong and Fenglin.
- Forecasts show more than 200mm of rain over the next day in the lake's catchment area, enough to trigger a yellow alert.
- Eight villages downstream are starting evacuations, with the elderly, children, and people who can't move easily going first.
- A low-pressure system and southwest winds are driving the rain, and the river channel itself stays under the higher red alert and closed off.
- Local officials have opened shelters at a primary school and a community hall, and have asked the military for trucks to help move people.
Outlook: If the rain comes in as forecast overnight, officials expect to escalate to a full red-alert evacuation of all at-risk households by tomorrow morning.