Typhoon that ravaged Philippines now threatens Taiwan

October 31, 2000
Web posted at: 7:55 PM HKT (1155 GMT)

TAIPEI, Taiwan, (AP) -- Typhoon Xangsane whirled closer to southern Taiwan on Tuesday, prompting officials to set up disaster relief centers, cancel flights and call off classes.

By Tuesday afternoon, Xangsane was centered 149 miles south of Taiwan and expected to hit the island's southern tip by late Wednesday if it maintained its current course, said Lin Ting-yi, a forecaster at Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau.

International flights were canceled from the southern port city of Kaohsiung to the Philippines, where the typhoon left 26 dead, 50 missing and property and crop damage worth $17 million.

Domestic flights from Taipei to the southern counties of Taitung, Pingtung, Kaohsiung and Hualien also were canceled as Xangsane -- which means "elephant" in Thai -- rumbled closer.

Trains were also halted, while landslide and flash flood warnings were posted over many cities. Roads were deserted as rains began to pour and the winds strengthened.

Typhoon relief and coordinating centers were set up all over southern Taiwan. In southern Pingtung County, officials were searching for a 60-year-old woman who fell into a river.

Tropical storms and typhoons hit Taiwan frequently during the summer. A storm is upgraded to a typhoon when sustained winds reach 75 mph.

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