In brief
Taiwan faces serious damage as Typhoon Danas brings destruction, power outages, and casualties in an unprecedented storm track.
Typhoon Danas has left a trail of devastation on Taiwan’s southwestern coast, resulting in at least two fatalities and over 300 injuries. Late Sunday night, the storm made landfall in Chiayi County with Category 1 hurricane strength, according to the Central Weather Administration. By Monday afternoon, around 400,000 households were left without electricity, affecting daily life across the island as schools and businesses shut down. Typically, summer typhoons in Taiwan strike the mountainous east coast, but Danas took an unusual route, impacting populated western areas instead. This marked the first time a typhoon has made landfall in Chiayi County since 1958, according to historical records by the Central Weather Administration. In the wake of the storm, President Lai Ching-te indicated that the severe weather would affect the entirety of Taiwan, emphasizing the rarity of Danas' track. In Tainan, the oldest city on the island, a 60-year-old man died after his breathing apparatus lost power amid outages, and a 69-year-old man was killed by a tree that fell due to the storm. The government has yet to provide details on the condition of those injured as recovery efforts begin. As Taiwan assesses damage and works to restore power, the community is urged to stay vigilant for aftereffects from Typhoon Danas.
