Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/07/31
By: Yang Sz-ruei and Evelyn Kao
Taipei, July 31 (CNA) Tainan Mayor Lai Ching-te (賴清德) apologized on Monday for
Tainan Mayor Lai Ching-te (賴清德, third left); Photo courtesy of Tainan City government
any inconvenience caused by the city government’s late announcement of school and office closures for that day due to flooding in some areas of the city caused by Tropical Storm Haitang, which made landfall in southern Taiwan the previous night.
Lai’s apology came after the local government made the announcement at 6:25 a.m. Monday, prompting complaints from the public.
During an inspection tour of flooded areas in the city on Monday, Lai said a decision was made on Sunday night to announce that schools and offices would be open as usual on Monday because the Central Weather Bureau forecast indicated cumulative rainfall would not reach 350 mm in a 24-hour period, the official standard for office and school closures in the city.
The government reversed that decision at 6:25 a.m. after determining that flooding in some areas of the city could disrupt traffic and pose a public hazard, Lai added.
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