Hualien barrier lake disaster exposes gaps in Taiwan’s emergency response

花蓮堰塞湖災難暴露台灣災害應變的漏洞

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In the months leading up to the deadly overflow of Hualien’s Mataian Creek barrier lake, both central and local governments followed legal protocols, but that adherence did little to prevent the disaster that ultimately claimed 18 lives.

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Associate Professor Shan Hsin-yu (單信瑜) said a key issue is that barrier lakes are not categorized under Taiwan’s Disaster Prevention and Protection Act, per Business Today. Depending on their location, oversight can fall under one of three central agencies.

Former Interior Minister Lee Hong-yuan (李鴻源) pointed to systemic flaws at the national level, criticizing the Cabinet’s Central Emergency Operation Center for being chronically understaffed and underfunded. Established in 2011, the center has played a limited role in past disasters due to its low administrative standing, he said.

Lee urged the creation of a dedicated national disaster response agency to coordinate interdepartmental efforts. Ming Chuan University Professor Wang Jieh-jiuh (王价巨) agreed, advocating for an “all-hazards” approach to disaster planning instead of the current compartmentalized model, per CommonWealth Magazine.

On the local level, Shan said central government disaster drills rarely involved local officials, leading to a lack of vertical integration and miscommunication. As a result, local governments were often unaware of shortcomings in their evacuation plans.

Hualien County authorities had 36 hours to evacuate residents after the central government released its latest risk assessment. Wang argued the timeframe was sufficient to act, but questioned whether the urgency of the threat was clearly communicated to residents. He noted that 78% of those in the evacuation zone chose to stay home.

Tatung Village Chief Chiu Ching-chung (邱金仲) recalled going door-to-door on Sept. 21, two days before the mudflow, urging residents to evacuate, per The Reporter. Many dismissed the threat and were unprepared when the disaster struck.

Residents said emergency broadcasts were largely ignored. Older villagers with hearing issues had difficulty understanding the announcements, and memories of previous evacuations during Typhoon Podul, which resulted in minimal impact, may have created a false sense of security.

Tatung resident Su Chien-chang (蘇建昌) said the government should have deployed police officers for door-to-door evacuations if officials truly believed the risk was imminent.

Shan emphasized the lack of local emergency response training. He said 30 hours is insufficient for an extensive evacuation effort, especially without proper support or authority to deal with residents who refuse to leave.

All 18 victims were located within the evacuation zone. Both the disaster relief rally point and the emergency shelter, situated in the same area, were impacted by the mudslide.

A study by a National Taiwan University research team, published on Sept. 19, had accurately predicted the path and impact of the mudflow.