The Washington Post
Date: August 17, 2015
By: Angela Fritz

Twin typhoons are spinning west across the Pacific Ocean — Goni and Atsani — poised

to become the sixth and seventh super typhoons of the 2015 season later this week.

The last time there were two super typhoons in the Pacific at the same time was in October 1997, when Super Typhoons Ivan and Joan overlapped. Not coincidentally, 1997 was also the strongest El Niño on record, with sea surface temperatures running far above average across the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the very least, this year’s El Niño could at least rival 1997’s intensity.

Typhoon Goni has been slowly tracking northwest through the Pacific Ocean since Thursday when it formed as a tropical depression. Since then it tracked through the Northern Mariana islands, missing Guam to the south and Saipan to the north. Anderson Air Force Base in Guam recorded wind gusts up to 58 mph, and just over 5 inches of rain. Flash flood warnings were in effect for the island on Sunday.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-16
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

As Taiwan recuperates itself from the damages inflicted by Typhoon Soudelor, a new

tropical storm named “Goni” is building on strength and coming towards the island, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) on Sunday.

Goni is currently centered about 2,690 kilometers east-southeast of Taiwan’s southernmost tip, Eluanbi, and heading west-northwest at 14 kilometers per hour.

Winds of up to 25km/h have been observed around the center of the typhoon, with the diameter of the storm currently expanded to as far as 120 kilometers.

The weather bureau said it is still early to confirm whether Goni will impact the island as there are other factors which can alternate its course.     [FULL  STORY]

Accuweather
Date: August 14, 2015
By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

Two newly-formed tropical storms in the western Pacific Ocean are both on track to become major typhoons next week with one eventually targeting the corridor from Taiwan to the Korean Peninsula.

Both Tropical Storms Goni and Atsani have taken shape east of Guam and should become typhoons by the start of the new week.

While Atsani will remain over open water this weekend, Goni poses the first threat to land. “Areas [in the Northern Mariana Islands] that were battered by Soudelor could again have to deal with a strong tropical system,” stated AccuWeather Meteorologist Eric Leister.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-08-13
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau denied speculation by a TV broadcaster Wednesday claiming that two more strong typhoons could form whose paths could resemble that of last weekend’s Typhoon Soudelor, which left eight dead and nearly 450 injured in Taiwan.

Facebook comments made by Next TV anchor Lee Fu-cheng were “hype,” bureau chief Shin Tzay-chyn said, criticizing them as irresponsible remarks that could cause unnecessary panic.

Lee said there are two typhoons heading for Taiwan, which could start affecting the country as early as Aug. 21. People should “hide in a ditch,” he said.

However, Shin pointed out that it is too early to make such predictions, adding that there is indeed a massive depression out over the Pacific but its future development will depend on numerous variables over the next seven to 10 days.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-12
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei City’s Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner Lu Shih-chang

said it would take at least two weeks before clearing out the city’s debris caused by Typhoon Soudelor, reports said Wednesday.

The powerful typhoon battered Taiwan last weekend with strong wind and torrential rain, bringing massive damages to cities across the island, among which over 6,000 road trees in Taipei were uprooted.

Taipei’s Public Works Department has been working around the clock to bring the city’s traffic up to speed, however there are still felled trees and broken tree branches everywhere.

According to Lu, the Department of Environmental Protection is seriously understaffed despite having mobilized an additional 2,000 manpower to handle the tasks at hand.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/08/11
By: Sunrise Huang and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Aug. 11 (CNA) Three residents of New Taipei’s Wulai District who had been reported missing since Typhoon Soudelor hit Aug. 8 have been contacted and are now safe, the city’s fire department said Tuesday.

The three — Yu Chun-chao, Yang Yung-cheng and Wu Ying-hui — are all residents living on the district’s Jinyan Road. Advance post staff of the fire department said all three have made contact with rescuers to say they have left dangerous mountain areas and are safe with friends and family.

With the three now located, army and fire department search and rescue teams have yet to find Kao Kuo-yung and Pai Pi-yun, a couple also living on Jinyan Road, as well as two other missing people in New Taipei.

The city’s emergency operation center said that as of Tuesday evening, more than 400 people of Fushan Village in Wulai have been taken to a shelter after the only road linking the village and the outside world was cut by the storm.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-10
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Taipei Water Department pointed out Monday that it is considering a plan to charge

water consumption for free in the last few days when drinking water had been affected by Typhoon Soudelor.

The island’s northern reservoir had been flooded by muddy water last weekend, resulting in water quality exceeding 39,300 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU).

The compensation plan is expected to be announced publicly in the next three days, according to the water board.

The move will benefit around 1.6 million affected households in the greater Taipei metropolitan area.

According to the department’s Deputy Commissioner Chen Man-li, the beneficiaries will encompass residents in Zhongho, Yungho, Xindian, Sanchung, and parts of Xizhi in Taipei City.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-09
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advised the public to boil drinking water as

it may be contaminated due to Typhoon Soudelor, reports said Sunday.

As the island’s northern reservoir had been flooded by muddy water, the EPA suggested boiling or chlorinating drinking water to minimize the risks of diarrhea or stomach ache.

The Feitsui Reservoir’s turbidity has since remained over 30,000 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) following the aftermath of the tropical storm, according to the Taipei Water Department. NTU is a measure of the clarity of water with a normal level of 1,000. The department said its water treatment plant in the greater Taipei area could only handle 6,000 NTU at a time.

Residents in the districts of Yungho, Sanchung, Zhongho, and Xindian should expect a decrease in water pressure or periodic water outage as the time for treating the excessive muddy water has been extended.     [FULL  STORY]