BY KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Kuomintang Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en inspected flood-prone districts Sunday, Aug. 23, as days of heavy rain inundated roads and strained drainage systems across the southern Taiwan city. Multiple gauges recorded more than 200 millimeters of rain in 24 hours Saturday, with some approaching 300 millimeters, according to the city’s Water Resources Bureau.
KMT legislator Ko wore a raincoat and boots as she visited the Dianbao River pumping station in Ciaotou and low-lying neighborhoods in neighboring Ziguan. One area had reported flooding after 5 a.m., and sections of road remained closed when she arrived.
In a nearby coastal area, residents placed sandbags and flood barriers outside their homes as a precaution against further rainfall. Ko urged people to monitor weather alerts and avoid entering flooded areas.
“As long as the rain has not stopped, flood precautions cannot ease,” Ko said. She called for a broader review of pumping capacity, drainage networks and flood-control infrastructure in communities that repeatedly experience flooding.
Muddy runoff disrupts Gushan roads
Ko later traveled to Gushan, where yellow, muddy runoff had affected Gushan Third Road near the foothills of Shoushan. Police placed traffic cones along parts of the road, and municipal crews used water trucks to remove mud after the floodwater receded.
The Water Resources Bureau said sudden, intense rainfall sent more runoff into the area than the drainage system could immediately handle. Officials deployed additional mobile pumps to reduce the risk of renewed flooding.
City officials said the highest local hourly rainfall Saturday reached 81 millimeters, exceeding the average design intensity of about 71.9 millimeters per hour for Kaohsiung’s stormwater system. The city elevated its heavy-rain emergency operations center to Level 2 as crews monitored drainage facilities and cleared debris from roadside gutters.
Ko said flood-control projects should be assessed by whether they prevent disruption to residents during severe weather, adding that her campaign would compile reports from affected communities and press for improvements.
