Downpours hit south Taiwan, disrupt traffic

Over 300 millimeters of rainfall had fallen in Pingtung County's Majia Township and Kaohsiung County's Taoyuan Township during a 37-hour period ending yesterday at 1 p.m.

The torrential rains disrupted traffic in many of these mountainous regions and even forced the closure of the sole highway leading to the popular tourist destination of Alishan in Chiayi County because of mudslides and falling rocks.

Traffic authorities warned people to stay away from mountainous areas until the rain stops.

The bridge linking Linyuan Township in Kaohsiung County and Sinyuan Township in Pingtung County, which was rebuilt after collapsing during Typhoon Morakot on August 8, 2009, was also closed because of surging river waters.

The downpours, however, have helped replenish the major reservoirs in southern Taiwan, filling Zengwen Reservoir to 45.75 percent of its capacity and the Wushantou and Nanhua reservoirs to 80 percent of their capacity.

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