Taiwan is assessing the impact of Tropical Storm Champi after the powerful weather system moved away from the island on Saturday, October 24, following several days of strong winds and heavy rainfall.
The Central Emergency Operation Center reported one death and 616 injuries by 5 p.m. local time. The fatality involved a man who was swept away by storm-driven waves on a beach in Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, on Thursday. Authorities said most injuries were minor, and no one had been reported missing in the cited update.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: Tropical Storm Champi caused one reported death and 616 injuries in Taiwan as of 5 p.m. on October 24.
Location: Taiwan, with damage and heavy rainfall reported across northern, central and eastern areas.
Authority/Organisation: Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operation Center and Central Weather Administration.
Action Taken: Authorities coordinated emergency monitoring, precautionary evacuations, damage assessment and electricity restoration; the land warning was lifted as the storm moved away.
Impact: Thousands of households experienced power cuts, infrastructure was damaged, and residents remained exposed to residual rainfall and potential landslide hazards.
The storm caused extensive damage across Taiwan. Officials had received 9,027 damage reports, including 3,287 involving fallen trees, 3,033 involving essential infrastructure and 1,014 involving billboards and signs. Taipei recorded the highest number of fallen-tree reports among the areas listed in the update.
Electricity supplies were also disrupted. More than 340,000 households had lost power during the storm, with approximately 22,000 still without electricity as of Saturday evening. Authorities expected restoration work to continue through the night.
Rainfall was particularly severe in parts of northern and eastern Taiwan. Yilan County recorded 650 millimetres of accumulated rainfall from Thursday through 4 p.m. Saturday. Taoyuan and Hsinchu counties each recorded more than 500 millimetres, while Taipei received 469.5 millimetres over the same period.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The impact of Champi highlights how a weakening storm can still create serious public-safety and infrastructure challenges. First, prolonged rainfall can trigger landslides and flooding after peak winds have subsided. Second, widespread power interruptions can affect homes, businesses and essential services. Third, transport disruptions and damaged roads can complicate emergency access and recovery operations. For communities in vulnerable areas, timely warnings, precautionary evacuations and reliable public information remain essential throughout the recovery period—not just during the storm’s strongest phase.
Authorities had evacuated 4,960 people by 4 p.m. Saturday as a precaution against landslides in vulnerable areas. The storm also disrupted transport and forced temporary closures and safety measures. Taiwan’s weather administration lifted the land warning at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, while the storm continued moving away from the island.
Despite the storm’s weakening, officials warned that its outer circulation could continue bringing intermittent rain to parts of northern Taiwan into Sunday morning. Residents were advised to remain alert to local weather and safety instructions.
