Tainan City Calls Emergency Stop Work/Class Due to Flooding

Tainan City Government this morning called an emergency stop work and class order after torrential rains brought by Typhoon Haitang caused extensive flooding around the city.

As of 3:00am this morning, July 31, 436 people have been evacuated from flood-prone homes in 11 districts of Tainan. The mayor called the emergency stop work and class order at 6:25am.

Stop work and class orders are usually issued the previous evening ahead of typhoon related weather events, however, Tainan City last night declared that work and classes would go on as normal today. Citizens on social media criticized the Mayor William Lai for making the late decision.

One reader of Apple Daily commented that she had boarded the High Speed Rail from Taipei to attend class in Tainan City and received a message about the class cancellation 20 minutes after boarding.

Other people braved rain and flooded roads to get to work only to find they had to turn around and go home. United Daily News reported that a man named Tsai left for work as normal this morning, but his car broke down when he attempted to get through a flooded underpass. Just at that moment he received a message announcing the stop work order. He then had to trudge 3 kilometers home on foot.

The neighboring Kaohsiung and Pingtung County governments declared stop work and classes yesterday evening.

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