Spatial and temporal distribution of disaster events in mountainous townships of Taiwan

Typhoon Morakot made landfall in Taiwan on 8 August 2009, bringing heavy rainfall. The typhoon caused 677 deaths with a further 22 missing. It cut water supplies to 769,159 households, electric power to 1,595,419 households, and communications to 22,221 households [1]. The typhoon, combined with south-western winds, brought heavy rainfall concentrated in southern Taiwan. The typhoon caused the most serious flood hazards in the recorded history of Taiwan. The highest rainfall recorded was 3,060 mm at the Alishan station in Chiayi County in southern Taiwan [2]. In the study area of Chiayi County, this abnormally heavy rainfall led to 10 deaths with a further two missing, electricity outages for 11,300 buildings, hydraulic structures damaged in 30 places, roads damaged in 25 places, and 206 villages inundated by floods, landslides, and debris flows in over 700 locations, 22 bridges out and 4 damaged, and estimated agricultural losses reaching NT$26 billion [3].