FIRST ALERT! Typhoon Guchol
We have a system developing about 5-6 days out from Taiwan called “Guchol”. Not a big one, but best keep an eye on it, as the predicted track has moved closer to Taiwan (more to the west) over the past 24 hours.
tropicalstormrisk.com/
I live in Hualien. Thus, I keep a close watch. Call me paranoid if you wish. Typhoon LongWang (2005) was my first experience, and it was NASTY!
Last year, I notified President Ma to NOT send home his people on Friday evening Aug 27th, just as Typhoon Namadol was making a surprising move towards plastering Taiwan with flood waters. You know, just so as he would not repeat the Morokot debacle. The steps were taken, disaster averted, and I got a personal “Thank you note” for that one.
Reference, AUG 2011: “In Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau issued a sea warnings instructing all ships passing through the Bashi Channel to stay updated about the typhoon. The president of Taiwan ordered evacuations of thousands of people from vulnerable areas, saying that a slow moving typhoon could result in more damages and casualties than normal. Some 35,000 soldiers were ordered to be ready to help out as many people as possible when the typhoon strikes. The soldiers were in possession of portable power generators, water pumps and amphibious assault vehicles. The Taiwan Railway Administration halted services on the South-Link Line in fear that heavy rain could trigger landslides and cause rail-accidents. The Directorate-General of Highways closed the Suhua Highway saying that the area through which the highway was built is more prone to landslides during typhoons. After landfall, Nanmadol dumped very heavy rainfall over the nation. Some 528 millimetres (20.8 in) of rain was dumped in Hualien County; 517 millimetres (20.4 in) in Hengchun, Pingtung County; 449 millimetres (17.7 in) in Taitung County; 292 millimetres (11.5 in) in Pinglin, New Taipei; 275 millimetres (10.8 in) in Kaohsiung; and 265 millimetres (10.4 in) in Taiping Mountain, Yilan County. The Council of Agriculture soon issued a red-alert for six riverside areas advising people that are at a high risk of mudslides after heavy torrential rains dumped by the typhoon. Even long after Nanmadol left Taiwan, heavy rain continued to batter the nation. Several parts of the nation saw rains of more than on meter and 1.5 meters with Pingtung County was the hardest hit of all.”
[b]If Guchol comes close enough (or hits), I would expect that its going to be bringing enough moisture to hammer the already well-soaked landscape from this recent “Monsoon”.
Be advised.[/b]
EDIT: Forgot to add. It was a whole lotta fun flying home to Hualian from AIDC in Taichung on Sunday the 29th in the midst of Typhoon Namadol’s northern arms. Only took us two completely-blind, white-knuckle, failed attempts to land before we started running low on gas out over the Pacific while surrounded by thunderheads. Finally, we safely diverted to Taipei. A brave, prudent, and skillful pilot on that flight! (Thank you, TransAsia Airlines!) Note: After I had boarded in Taichung and took my seat, the flight attendant look at me as if I was crazy when I asked, “Are the tanks FULL of gas?” She had no answer at that time, but I got first class service once we landed in Taipei to “wait things out”. 
So… just keep an eye on Guchol for now.
Thanks.
TT
On second attempt we never even SAW the ground! So much water was streaming off the wings that it was like we were trying to fly through a lake! 
as he walked by my area when I was working on the UH-1Y/Z program at AIDC in Taichung. At least he waved back. 
:discodance: