Typhoon Koinu landed on Kenting on October 5th, bringing strong winds to the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung, damaging power and telecommunications facilities and severely damaging trees. Trees in the Kenting National Forest Recreation Area have been broken and fallen, the worst disaster in 20 years, and it may be possible to open the park as early as the October 13th.
Various spots within Kenting National Park, including Eluanbi Park, Maobitou Park, Longpan Grassland, Taiwan’s southernmost point, Longluantan, and Shadao Area, were opened one after another before yesterday, while Nanrenshan, Sheding Nature Park, and Checheng Guishan are still closed.
The Pingtung branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency stated that Typhoon Koinu brought a maximum of 17-level super-strong gusts. There was plentiful rainfall this summer, and the forests grew lushly.
After the typhoon passed, trees were broken and fell in swathes, and some facilities were damaged. The park was devastated, with the damage exceeding that of the Meranti Typhoon in 2016, which brought 16-level strong gusts. A similar scene has to be traced back to the Dujuan Typhoon 20 years ago.
The Pingtung branch said that hundreds of trees in the area fell and some facilities were damaged. Park roads and trails were also blocked by fallen branches and trees.
To maintain tourists’ safety and recreational quality, park staff continue to clean up and mobilize chainsaw hands from all stations to support. As the park area is vast, it will take more manpower and time to tidy up, and it will be decided tomorrow whether to reopen on the 13th. Shuangliu National Forest Recreation Area, located in Shizih Township, opened on the 9th.
The various attractions of Kenting National Park also suffered significant damage. The park management office said that all recreational spots were severely damaged by the strong winds of the Koinu, with large swathes of trees broken and some hardware facilities damaged.
After the Visitor Center resumed external services on the 8th, disaster-stricken areas and bases such as Eluanbi Park, Taiwan’s southernmost point, Maobitou, Longluantan, Longpan, and Shadao, which suffered more severe damage, were opened before yesterday.
The seaside trail of Eluanbi Park is closed, and the Nanren Mountain Ecological Protection Area in Manzhou Township will be cleared by the 15th. The Sheding Nature Park and Checheng Guishan trail are still closed.