Directing flood relief efforts announced by the premier
In response to the recent flooding in Tainan, Premier Cho Jung-tai visited the region to address the issues and coordinate relief efforts. The government has established a Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan Flood Response Command Center to centralize emergency and cleanup operations. This center will facilitate direct cooperation between central and local governments, and will coordinate responses such as dispatching water pumps, maintenance equipment, and personnel to assist with drainage and cleanup efforts.
The flooding, caused by heavy rainfall from a low-pressure system and southwesterly winds, has affected businesses in the area, with some suffering losses. To mitigate the economic impacts, the government is actively involved in price stabilization efforts, such as the Ministry of Agriculture releasing frozen produce to stabilize fruit and vegetable prices affected by the flooding. The Ministry of National Defense has also deployed troops to Tainan districts for the removal of flood-damaged household waste and street cleaning.
President William Lai has instructed the military to assist with disaster relief efforts, and registered businesses and vendors will receive an additional NT$10,000 as relief. Local governments will provide NT$5,000, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs will provide an additional NT$20,000 for businesses affected by flooding of 50cm or more. Subsidies for affected businesses will be increased, but specific financial subsidy programs were not detailed in the available sources.
Premier Cho, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo, and Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che inspected drainage improvement efforts in Baihe and Houbi districts. They also visited an elderly resident in Houbo Borough, whose home was affected by the floodwaters. The government has allocated significant funds for long-term flood prevention in Chiayi (NT$10.4 billion) and Tainan (NT$11.1 billion), with plans for an additional NT$100 billion to bolster flood management due to climate change.
Operational flood relief measures include dispatching water pumps and maintenance personnel from Taipei and New Taipei City to Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan, as well as temporary relocation arrangements for residents displaced by flood damage. Tropical Storm Co-May, currently northeast of Taipei, is moving west-northwest and headed toward China's Zhejiang Province, with no further direct impact on Taiwan.
The unstable weather affecting Taiwan is expected to last until Aug. 4, with chances of scattered showers or thunderstorms. According to the latest European forecast model, a Pacific high-pressure system will intensify on Wednesday next week, bringing hot and sunny weather to Taiwan. Flood mitigation projects will be prioritized in next year's multiyear flood control budget, with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Environment, and other agencies operating under unified command from the Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan Flood Response Command Center.
The government is addressing the economic impacts of the flood through price stabilization efforts and financial aid, with the Ministry of Agriculture releasing frozen produce and the Ministry of National Defense deploying troops. The Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan Flood Response Command Center coordinates these efforts and will also prioritize flood mitigation projects in the next year's multiyear flood control budget.
