Typhoon Danas has led to agricultural losses in Taiwan estimated at nearly NT$1.1 billion (US$37.84 million), according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). By 8 am yesterday, crop damage spanned 9,822 hectares, accounting for over 1.5% of Taiwan's arable land, with an average crop loss rate of 30%, translating to 2,977 hectares of total crop failure. Pomeloes experienced the highest damage at 923 hectares affected, with a 51% loss rate, leading to a crop failure equivalent to 469 hectares and financial losses of NT$138.86 million.
Other impacted crops include bananas (NT$134.91 million), bamboo shoots (NT$83.27 million), oranges (NT$63.48 million), and tangerines (NT$55.18 million). To facilitate recovery, the Ministry has implemented emergency cash relief and initiated low-interest loan programs for the most affected areas, including Tainan, Chiayi County, and Chiayi City. For crops recognized as severely impacted, on-site inspections have been dismissed to expedite support. Farmers lacking formal planting records are allowed to submit photographic evidence via the Ministry's disaster reporting app.
Despite the storm, over 400 offshore wind turbines remained unscathed, and electricity was restored to more than 450,000 households initially affected by power outages, reported the Energy Administration and Taiwan Power Co (Taipower). The Energy Administration noted that more than 400 wind turbines were installed in the Taiwan Strait by May's end, with 375 already grid-connected, cumulatively providing over 3 gigawatts of grid-connected capacity.
Agency representatives confirmed no reported damages to turbines post-storm, as standard safety protocols require operators to provide regular status updates. Under the typhoon-resistance standard adopted with Japan in 2017, offshore turbines in Taiwan must withstand sustained wind speeds of 57 meters per second for 10 minutes. This exceeds the requirements set by Europe's Class 1A standard. Turbines are engineered to lock blades when wind speeds surpass 25 meters per second, preventing mechanical harm.
According to Taipower, Typhoon Danas resulted in over 650 collapsed electricity poles and three transmission tower failures, leading to power outages affecting over 710,000 households at its peak. As of 6 pm on Monday, power was restored to more than 450,000 households. Chiayi County and Chiayi City were notably affected, reporting over 250,000 outages, while nearly 190,000 households in Tainan experienced power loss. Taipower mobilized more than 4,000 personnel for emergency repairs.
Typhoon Danas made its impact late Sunday in Chiayi County's Budai Township, later weakening into a tropical storm. During its course, wind gusts in Tainan reached 41.1 meters per second, as per Central Weather Administration records. The storm resulted in two fatalities and injuries to 502 individuals.
Source: Taipei Times
