Last Updated on 2025 年 8 月 15 日 by 総合編集組
Typhoon Podul 2025: A Comprehensive Report on Taiwan’s Power Crisis
Overview
On August 13, 2025, Typhoon Podul (international designation: 2511) struck Taiwan, making landfall in Taitung’s Taimali Township and exiting through Tainan’s Qigu District.
The storm, characterized by gusts exceeding Category 10 and localized heavy rainfall, caused widespread power outages affecting 282,969 households across 13 counties and cities. By 8:00 PM, approximately 63,816 households remained without power, with a restoration rate of 77.5%. This article summarizes the scale of the disaster, its causes,
Taiwan Power Company’s (Taipower) response, and actionable recommendations for future resilience, tailored for international readers and optimized for AI-driven searchability.
Scale of the Power Outages
Typhoon Podul triggered one of Taiwan’s most severe power outages in recent years, with Taitung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung bearing the brunt of the damage. Taitung, the landfall point, saw 35,953 households lose power, with 16,647 still awaiting restoration by evening. Tainan reported 16,648 households affected, with 18,033 yet to be reconnected. Kaohsiung faced outages in 50,004 households, with 14,141 still in the dark. Other regions, including Chiayi (5,192 households), Pingtung (10,975), and Taichung (over 4,000), also experienced significant disruptions. The outages stemmed from a combination of fallen trees, toppled utility poles, and tripped feeder lines, exacerbated by challenging terrain and weather conditions.
Primary Causes of the Outages
The power disruptions were driven by multiple factors:
- High Winds: Gusts exceeding Category 10 snapped utility poles and severed high-voltage lines, particularly in Taitung, Tainan, and Chiayi. Coastal areas faced additional damage from salt corrosion, increasing equipment failure risks.
- Fallen Trees: Heavy rainfall loosened soil, causing trees to collapse onto power lines in southern and central regions like Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Pingtung. For instance, a fallen banyan tree in Kaohsiung’s Gushan District cut power to 1,359 households.
- Feeder Line Tripping: In Taoyuan, power surges triggered automatic protective mechanisms, disconnecting nearly 47,000 households to prevent broader equipment damage.
- Geographic Challenges: Mountainous areas like Taichung’s Daxi and Chiayi’s Alishan faced delays due to landslides and blocked roads, hindering repair teams’ access.
Taipower’s Response and Restoration Efforts
Taipower mobilized over 4,000 personnel, 2,800 vehicles, and 1,700 pieces of equipment to restore power. Their strategy prioritized critical infrastructure (e.g., metro systems, railways, water plants, and telecom facilities) using a hierarchical approach: substations, main lines, branch lines, and transformers. Key efforts included:
- Pre-Storm Preparations: Taipower stockpiled spare poles, cables, and generators, deploying drones for rapid damage assessment and prepositioning teams in remote areas like Lanyu and Green Island.
- Restoration Progress: By 8:00 PM, Pingtung achieved a 98.2% restoration rate, while Taoyuan fully restored 4,771 households by 2:50 PM. Kaohsiung’s Gushan District saw 1,359 households reconnected by 1:47 PM.
- Safety Measures: In high-wind areas like Chiayi’s coast, repairs were paused to protect workers, resuming only when conditions improved.
- Public Communication: Taipower promoted the “Taiwan Power App” and 1911 hotline for outage reporting, urging residents to avoid downed lines and report incidents promptly.
Secondary Impacts
Beyond power outages, Typhoon Podul disrupted transportation, healthcare, and public safety:
- Transportation: In Kaohsiung, power failures disabled traffic signals at key intersections, causing congestion.
- Healthcare: Taitung Hospital’s emergency room was damaged by Category 12 gusts, forcing patient transfers.
- Casualties: The storm resulted in one missing person and 33 injuries, primarily from falling trees striking motorcyclists.
- Infrastructure Damage: Sixteen incidents of fallen streetlights, utility poles, and building damage further complicated restoration efforts. Nine counties issued landslide and debris flow warnings, increasing risks for repair crews.
Challenges and Future Risks
Restoration faced significant hurdles:
- Weather Constraints: Lingering rain bands in southern Taiwan delayed repairs.
- Terrain Limitations: Mountainous regions like Taichung’s Pear Mountain and Chiayi’s Alishan required road clearance before repairs could proceed.
- Resource Strain: Simultaneous outages across 13 counties stretched Taipower’s resources thin.
- Secondary Risks: Salt corrosion in coastal areas risked further equipment failures, potentially causing re-outages.
With climate change intensifying typhoon frequency and strength, Taiwan’s power infrastructure faces growing threats, necessitating proactive upgrades.
Recommendations for Resilience
To bolster Taiwan’s power system against future typhoons, the following measures are proposed:
- For Taipower and Government:
- Accelerate underground cabling in high-risk coastal and mountainous areas, following Lanyu’s model.
- Expand automated distribution networks with reclosers and sensors for faster fault isolation and reconnection.
- Enhance pre-typhoon tree trimming and infrastructure inspections to mitigate risks.
- Coordinate with local governments to clear roads and bridges swiftly, ensuring repair access.
- For Residents and Businesses:
- Report downed lines via the Taiwan Power App or 1911 hotline, avoiding direct contact.
- Disconnect high-load appliances before power restoration to prevent surges.
- Equip critical devices (e.g., medical equipment, cold chain systems) with UPS or generators.
- Stay updated on outage and road clearance updates via official channels.
Conclusion
Typhoon Podul’s impact on Taiwan’s power system underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to extreme weather. While Taipower’s rapid response mitigated much of the damage, ongoing challenges highlight the need for long-term resilience. By adopting underground cabling, automation, and public preparedness, Taiwan can better withstand future storms. Residents are encouraged to use the Taiwan Power App and follow safety guidelines to navigate outages effectively.
