Everyone in Taiwan has firsthand knowledge of the devastation of typhoons, yet the question still arises whether or not Taiwan has taken sufficient disaster prevention measures? Fifteen years ago, Typhoon Megi (梅姬颱風) devastated Su'ao Township in Yilan, with torrential rains causing extreme flooding and powerful mudslides, resulting in the deaths of 38 people. In Subei Village, where the famous Su'ao Cold Spring (蘇澳冷泉) resides, the water level reached the height of a full story. After this disaster, residents resolved to form a community-based disaster prevention team, and through meticulous community organization and preparation, Subei has become a model community for disaster prevention nationwide. Lest we forget the lessons that disaster has taught; we need to explore the full story of what occurred that led to this point.
How scary are compound disasters? Floods and mudslides leave no way out
In October 2010, although Typhoon Megi did not hit Taiwan directly, the accompanying effects (共伴效應) of its outer circulation and the northeast monsoon still brought torrential rains to the Yilan area. The Su'ao meteorological station recorded a total accumulated rainfall of 1180.9 mm during the typhoon, setting a new record. The heavy rains, coinciding with high tide, caused widespread flooding and mudslides in Su'ao, a disaster locals described as a once-in-a-century flood.
Due to this, 11people tragically lost their lives in the Subei Village. Tian-Chi Chen (陳添琪), the newly elected village chief, was now faced with a severe disaster he was entirely unprepared for. After the flood he became determined to promote disaster prevention work in the community to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy. He first secured funding/support from the Ministry of the Interior's Disaster Prevention and Deep Cultivation Project (防災深耕計畫), then he implemented the Water Resources Agency's "Flood Self-Reliant Disaster Prevention Community" (水患自主防災社區) program, and finally sought the support ofSoil and Water Conservation Bureau's (SWCB) "Slope Self-Reliant Disaster Prevention Community" (坡地自主防災社區) program. His work with the Central government garnered numerous awards and recognitions, making the community a model of disaster prevention in Taiwan.
We accompanied Tian Chi Chen to revisit the area where the disaster occurred. On the mountain nearby stands Zhinan Temple (指南宮), next to which lies a stream with a high potential of mudslides occurring. Despite prior slope protection measures, severe mudslides still occurred due to that year's heavy rains. The mudslide that came from this slope led to 9 people being buried alive.
“This open space was once the site of houses buried by mudslides,” Tian-Chi Chen said. "Why couldn't these people escape? Because the foot of the mountain was already flooded with water up to the height of a one-story building, and all access roads were cut off, leaving the victims trapped under the mudslides.“
From the destruction of Typhoon Megi, a disaster prevention team rises from the ashes
In order to prevent more compound disasters, Subei Village has simultaneously carried out a "double major" in flood and slope disaster prevention. For three consecutive years, it has been awarded the Excellent Award in the Water Resources Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs' evaluation of self-reliant flood prevention communities. It has been listed as one of only five ‘seed communities’(種子社區) in Taiwan. It has also been certified as a Gold Community for Slope Disaster Prevention by SWCB and selected as one of the 12 highlight communities in Taiwan.
Behind the winning streak lies Subei Village's meticulous disaster prevention mindset and unwavering determination. Tian-Chi Chen shared with us that while other communities typically have the village chief as the disaster prevention commander and the village office leading the team, Subei Village is different. The disaster prevention team is organized by the Community Development Association, which also nominates the commander; members personally join disaster prevention positions.
In this way, the operation of the disaster prevention team is decoupled from the village chief election. This allows disaster prevention work to be better integrated into community development and promoted sustainably, without being limited to a four-year term.
Down the mountain, at its foot flows the Alishi River (阿里史溪), and the once open plain along its banks has now been converted into a parking lot. This area is classified as flood-prone. Tian-Chi Chen said, "This is the lowest-lying area in all of Su'ao." The flooding caused by Typhoon Megi was due not only to the excessive rainfall but to the high tide. The tide caused the water level at the downstream estuary of the Alishi River to rise, leaving a large amount of water with nowhere to go, inundating the Su'ao area with water.
Tian-Chi Chen pulled out photos of the flooding during Typhoon Megi. The muddy yellow water was higher than the awnings of the houses on the first floor, with some of the second floor also being submerged. "The water flooded very quickly at the time, and the residents didn't have time to react. Some people were unfortunately swept away by the water."
Tian-Chi Chen said that the members of the Subei Village disaster prevention patrol team have a clear division of duties. Whenever there is heavy rain, they will activate patrol and early warning systems. Patrol team members will go to their respective patrol points, such as flood-prone areas or slopes, to report on the situation on the ground. The team will also upload photos to the community's LINE group so that residents are informed of the situation as early as possible.
The two mobile water pumps in the retention pond were set up with the assistance of the government. Tian-Chi Chen can monitor them in real time through a webcam and can turn on the pump once water reaches the warning level.
Upstream of the Alishi River is Subei Village, and downstream is Sunan Village (蘇南里). In recent years, the two villages have established a joint disaster prevention front and share water level information. Once the upstream water level rises, the downstream can begin preparations; conversely, if the downstream cannot drain water in time, the upstream can also respond promptly. This allows the two villages to support each other during disasters.
Following Typhoon Megi, the county government established a water diversion and pumping station at the intersection of the Alishi and Su'ao Rivers. If the Su'ao River's water level rises, the sluice gate between the two rivers will be closed to prevent backflow into the Alishi River, and pumps will forcibly drain the water. Subei Village also maintains contact with the county office to monitor the community's water level, mobile pump operation, and the status of the pumping station, preventing a lack of coordination during a crisis.
Lest we forget the teachings of these disasters
Even 15 years later, the memories of the disaster remain vivid. Ching-Ji Jiang (江清吉), director of the Subei Community Development Association, shared that on the day of the sudden downpour, he went to pick up his grandson from school. Little did he know that he would almost not make it home that day. First, his motorcycle broke down due to water damage, and when he had returned home in his sorry state, the power outage caused the rolling shutter to malfunction. In the short time he went around to the back door, the floodwaters had risen and rushed into his home. All the furniture and appliances inside were soaked, and the alley in front of the house was flooded into a small river, with all sorts of debris floating on the water.
Ching-Ji Jiang said that the floodwaters were so fast that people had no time to react at all. Amid the chaos, neighbors helped each other and searched for missing relatives and friends. Hearing about the mudslide on the mountainside made everyone even more panicked and unable to sleep that night.
Afterwards, Ching-Ji Jiang drew a water level mark on the wall of his home, "Flood height 120 cm at 1:40 pm on October 21, 2010," to remind himself not to forget the disaster.
Members of the Subei Disaster Prevention Team participate in refresher training and update disaster prevention information annually. Besides actively promoting disaster prevention within their own neighborhoods, they serve as a model disaster prevention community, attracting visits from communities, schools, and government agencies across Taiwan.
Tian-Chi Chen stated that the next step is to strive for recognition as a "Resilient Community" by the Ministry of the Interior, making disaster prevention more comprehensive.
The disaster prevention team has set up four disaster prevention bulletin boards at flood-prone and mudslide-prone locations within the community, informing residents of past disasters and reminding them to take precautions. QR codes are also provided for quick access to this information via mobile phones.
Furthermore, the famous "Su'ao Cold Spring" is located within the community. The disaster prevention team has thoughtfully added evacuation routes and QR codes to the bulletin board in Cold Spring Park, allowing visitors to know where to evacuate and take refuge in the event of a disaster.
Tian-Chi Chen said that he hopes to instill disaster prevention awareness and consciousness deep in everyone's hearts. It is necessary to remind people again and again, lest they forget and repeat the same mistakes. Thus, they provide disaster prevention education to residents through various neighborhood activities, conducting disaster prevention drills for vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly, and collecting information so they can help these vulnerable groups as soon as possible during a disaster.
Tian-Chi Chen said that in the past, whenever he went out on his bike, the elders would remind him to "slow on down" (in Taiwanese; 騎較慢咧; Tailo: Khiâ khah-bān leh). This concept also applies to disaster prevention: you have to constantly remind people so that everyone keeps it in mind.
Translated by Jaye Brayboy; Proofread by Dawson Piper.
