Heavy rains hit Tainan as reservoirs refill

豪雨襲擊台南 水庫蓄水回升

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Heavy rain has brought more than 250 mm to parts of Tainan since Friday, flooding roads and rail lines.

Tainan’s disaster response center was activated at Level 2 at 7 a.m. Saturday as authorities strengthened coordination with district offices and responded to flooding, per CNA. Taiwan Railways began operating trains at reduced speeds between Yongkang and Bao’an at 6:30 a.m.

Tainan’s Water Resources Bureau said rainfall from Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday was 279 mm in Anping District, 261 mm in North District, and 252 mm in Yongkang District, per TVBS. The highest hourly rainfall reached 59.5 mm in North and Yongkang districts, while the city had pumped out a total of 4.92 million tonnes of water.

The bureau said the highest 10-minute rainfall was 15 mm in South District, followed by 14.5 mm in North, Annan, and Guiren districts, and 13.5 mm in Anping.

As of 8 a.m., the storage levels of Tsengwen and Wushantou Reservoirs, which supply irrigation water to the Chiayi-Tainan area, had both exceeded 80%. The two reservoirs held a combined 430 million tonnes of water.

Nanhua Reservoir, which supplies domestic and industrial water to Tainan, had reached full capacity and was overflowing as of 8 a.m. Saturday.