From 2020 to 2022, Taiwan had a dearth of powerful Typhoons, a phenomenon some would call Taiwan’s Typhoon Iron Dome. However, the Iron dome was broken by two powerful Typhoon landfalls in 2023, and during Taiwan’s historic 2024 Typhoon Season, the iron dome was completely demolished. 2024 was historic in many ways, such as the most landfalls since 2008, the first recording of two landfalls in October (Krathon and Kong-Rey), deadliest Typhoon in eight years (Gaemi), and the largest Typhoon since 1996 (Kong-Rey). In this blog we will present a brief summary of this unforgettable Typhoon season.
🏯 Planning your trip to Taiwan? 🏮
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: March-May, and October – November when the temperatures are nice and there is not as much rain
- How to get there: Taiwan High Speed Railway and Inter-City Bus
- Best places to stay: Yuanshan Grand Hotel or Fu Chang Hotel
- Book tours and activities in Taipei on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
In this blog, we will list the major typhoons and storms that affected Taiwan in chronological order.
Basic Summary of the 2024 Typhoon Season:
- Number of Typhoon landfalls: 3
- Total maximum amount of rain (from the storms below): 5400mm (5.4 meters, 17 feet)
- Number of fatalities: 16
- Number of injuries: 2259
- Agricultural Damage costs: NT$22 billion (US$578 million)
- Reservoirs: Full
Typhoon Gaemi (2024) 凱米颱風
Typhoon Gaemi was the worst Typhoon to hit Taiwan in nearly a decade. It caused five deaths in Taiwan, dumped over a meter of rain in the mountains, and caused work and school to close for over three days in some areas. In this blog, I detail some of the major events and overall situation in Taiwan during the Typhoon, as well as my own experience during this typhoon and past typhoons in Taiwan.
Basic Summary of the Typhoon 台風凱米大概的狀況
Typhoon Gaemi began forming as a tropical depression on July 22nd, strengthened to a super Typhoon, and finally made landfall in Taiwan on July 25th, 2024. Its highest winds reached 165 km/h, making it a category 4 Typhoon (very strong Typhoon or Super Typhoon). When it made landfall in Yilan, Taiwan, it was a category 3 Typhoon. As of the time of writing, the typhoon has caused over 27 fatalities and 502 injuries throughout the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, and China, with five deaths in Taiwan. Most of these people were killed by falling objects, while one man was killed by a landslide (which is why you should stay indoors and out of the mountains during a typhoon). All domestic flights and hundreds of international flights in Taiwan were canceled. Most mountain villages in Taiwan were evacuated. Much of Taiwan was flooded along the Chianan Plain where over 500 mm of rain fell in a day. As of the time of writing, Maolin District of Kaohsiung received the most rain, with over 1900 mm of rain (6 feet) over three days.
In addition, agricultural losses totaled NT 1.8 billion.
Check out our full blog post on Typhoon Gaemi here.
Tropical Depression #19 17W (Igme) (2024)
TD #19 was a slam dunk into the Taiwan Strait…
Tropical Depression Igme, the number 19 tropical cyclone of the 2024 Pacific Typhoon Season, lasted for an especially long time and dumped rain onto Northern and Southern Taiwan, causing flooding in many places. In this blog, we share some memories of this storm and its impact on Taiwan.
Storm Formation and Path
Tropical Depression Igme became a depression on September 20th and was upgraded to a tropical depression on September 21st. On September 22nd, it strengthened to a tropical storm.
Check out our full blog on Tropical Depression Igme here.
Check out our full blog post on Tropical Storm Igme here.
Typhoon Krathon (山陀兒) – 2024
Typhoon Krathon was the first Typhoon to make landfall in western Taiwan in over 38 years. So far it has caused at least two deaths in Taiwan, injured hundreds, dumped over a meter of rain in the mountains of Taitung, and caused work and school to close for four days in some areas. In this blog, I detail some of the major events and overall situation in Taiwan during the Typhoon, as well as my own experience during this typhoon and past typhoons in Taiwan.
Overall, the typhoon took a southwest turn from its original trajectory, making a loop around the Hengchun Peninsula before curving back up north and making landfall in Kaohsiung and dying.
Basic Summary of the Typhoon
Typhoon Krathon became the second super typhoon to hit Kaohsiung in 47 years, following Typhoon Selma in 1977. It is also the first recorded tropical cyclone to make landfall in Kaohsiung in October. Notably, this is the first moderate typhoon to make landfall on Taiwan’s west coast in 38 years, since Typhoon Wayne in 1986. However, due to its slow movement and the intake of too much dry air, the typhoon weakened from a strong typhoon to a moderate typhoon, and eventually to a mild typhoon.
Typhoon Krathon was the 18th storm of the 2024 Pacific typhoon season and began forming as a tropical depression on September 26th, strengthened to a Category-4 Super Typhoon, and finally made landfall in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on October 3rd, 2024. Its highest winds reached 240 km/h. When it made landfall in Xiaogand District of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, it was a category 1 Typhoon (winds between 74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h). As of the time of writing, the typhoon has caused over 2 fatalities in Taiwan and 400 injuries. A total of 176,506 households lost electricity. All domestic flights and hundreds of international flights in Taiwan were canceled for a time. Most mountain villages in Taiwan were evacuated. Flooding occurred in Kaohsiung, Keelung, and Taitung. As of the time of writing, Taimali District of Taitung received the most rain, with over 1500mm of rain (5 feet) over four days. Keelung also set a daily rain record of over 373 mm in one day.
Check out our full record of Typhoon Krathon here.
Typhoon Kong-Rey (2024) 紀念康芮颱風
Typhoon Kong-Rey was the largest storm to hit Taiwan since 1996, the first Typhoon to make landfall in late October, and the third Typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in 2024. Its landfall marked the first time in 16 years that three Typhoons have made landfall in Taiwan during one Typhoon season. So far it has caused at least two deaths in Taiwan, injured hundreds, dumped over a meter of rain in the mountains of Hualien, and caused work and school to close throughout all of Taiwan. In this blog, I detail some of the major events and overall situation in Taiwan during the Typhoon, as well as my own experience during this typhoon and past typhoons in Taiwan.
Overall, the typhoon hit the southeast coast and cut across central Taiwan before looping back toward Japan.
Basic Summary of the Typhoon 台風康芮大概的狀況
Typhoon Kong-Rey was the largest storm to hit Taiwan since 1996, the first Typhoon to make landfall in late October, and the third Typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in 2024. However, the typhoon weakened from a strong typhoon to a moderate typhoon, and eventually to a mild typhoon.
Typhoon Kong-Rey was the 21st storm of the 2024 Pacific typhoon season and began forming as a tropical depression on October 25th, strengthened to a Category-4 Super Typhoon, and finally made landfall in Chenggong Township of Taitung, Taiwan on October 31st, 2024. Its highest winds reached 240 km/h. When it made landfall in Chenggong Township of Taitung County, Taiwan, it was a category 3 Typhoon (winds between 111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h). As of the time of writing, the typhoon has caused over 2 fatalities in Taiwan and 200 injuries. Over 200,000 households lost electricity. All domestic flights and hundreds of international flights in Taiwan were canceled for a time. Most mountain villages in Taiwan were evacuated. Flooding occurred in Taitung, Hualien, and Yilan. As of the time of writing, Hualien received the most rain, with over 1200mm of rain (4 feet) in one day.
Check out our full blog post on Kong-rey here.
Typhoon Usagi (天兔) (2024)
Typhoon Usagi was the 25th tropical cyclone of the 2024 Pacific Typhoon Season. It made landfall in the Philippines and dumped rain onto Southern Taiwan before dissipating into oblivion. For the first time in recorded history, four tropical cyclones simultaneously existed in the Western Pacific during the month of November. In this blog, we share some memories of this storm and its impact on Taiwan.
The Typhoon died before it could make landfall. It was downgraded back to a tropical depression and dissipated right before the center of the storm reached the Hengchun Peninsula.
Storm Formation and Path
Tropical Depression Igme became a depression on November 9th, 2024, and was upgraded to a tropical storm on November 10th. On November 12th, it strengthened into a Typhoon. Usagi was one of four tropical cyclones to simultaneously exist in the Western Pacific during the month of November for the first time in recorded history. Two people were killed due to the storm in the Philippines, but none in Taiwan.
Check out our full blog post on Typhoon Usagi here.
Safety Precautions During a Typhoon
- If you live on the first floor of a flood-prone area, move as many valuables and important objects to higher floors as possible.
- Secure loose outside objects
- Park your car/scooter on high ground
- Avoid going outside for your safety
- Stay out of the mountains
- Stay away from the ocean
- Have enough dry food and water ready for three days (72 hours) in case water and electricity are cut off.
If you follow the above rules, most Typhoons in Taiwan will not be dangerous. Also, most buildings in Taiwan are built with reinforced concrete that can withstand even the strongest winds, so stay indoors and you will be fine.
For more information about Taiwan, check out our full Taiwan guide here.
