Super typhoon makes double landfall

The centre of Typhoon Krosa came ashore in northeast Taiwan on Saturday near the fishing town of Su-ao in the south of Ilan county, and about 15 miles southeast of Ilan, the county's capital.

According to AIR Worldwide, landfall was earlier than had been forecast because of an abrupt and unexpected turn to the west. However, as expected, Krosa weakened as it approached the island and satellite imagery indicated that some erosion of the northern eyewall had taken place.

According to the Central Weather Bureau (CBW), maximum sustained winds at landfall were near 115mph, down from yesterday's 150mph super typhoon wind speeds.

Shortly after landfall, Krosa seems to have been deflected south-westward along the coastline by Taiwan's mountainous interior. The storm re-emerged into the Pacific near Hualien, about 45 miles south of its initial landfall point, and began a roughly circular path just offshore.

Radar imagery shows evidence of a second landfall near the northern tip of the island—north of the first landfall. The slow-motion cycloidal track and double landfall behaviour of Krosa adjacent to the island will subject coastal exposures to high winds over a significant period of time, allowing damage to accumulate. Fortunately, however, large stretches of this part of Taiwan's coast are sparsely populated.

Krosa, which is the Cambodian word for a species of crane, is a large system, with tropical storm force winds extending to near 150 miles from the centre. The storm knocked out power to more than 700,000 households across Taiwan. The northern port city of Keelung was particularly hard hit, with most of the city still without power as the evening set in.

Officials in Taipei report upwards of two hundred downed trees as a result of high winds and saturated soils. There are also reports of roofs having blown off, and billboards and awnings have turned into airborne missiles.

Knee-deep water was reported in a residential area of Peitou, a suburb of the capital. Some 40 miles southwest of Taipei, in the city of Hsinchu, a large scaffolding collapsed, injuring two. At least two people have been killed by the storm and another 36 injured, according to reports.

Taiwan's ports were shut down and schools and business were closed in advance of the storm's arrival. The Disaster Relief Center has issued flash-flood alerts for 17 major rivers and local authorities have been urged to evacuate landslide-prone areas. Some 820 rockslide and mudslide alerts have been issued across the country.

Accumulated precipitation in Taipei has already exceeded 215mm and significantly higher amounts are expected in mountainous areas.