Life returned to normalcy across Taiwan on Friday, with schools, businesses, and flights resuming after Typhoon Krathon, which brought torrential rainfall to the island before dissipating over a mountain range, The Associated Press reports.
Despite the typhoon’s departure, a heavy rain advisory remained in place for the northern coast and mountainous areas. Two landslides occurred early Friday, highlighting the lingering effects of the storm.
Krathon had brought much of Taiwan to a standstill for three days, causing widespread disruption. The typhoon weakened to a tropical depression early Friday, making a “U-turn” across the island’s southwestern tip overnight before moving back over the sea.
Schools and businesses reopened across the island, with the exception of Kaohsiung city, Pingtung County, and some parts of Hualien County and New Taipei. Domestic flights, which had been grounded for two days, resumed operations.
Krathon’s impact was most severe in Kaohsiung, where it brought winds up to 78 mph and higher gusts, felling trees and flooding roads. Heavy rains and flooding also affected Taiwan’s southern and eastern coasts, with mountainous Taitung County recording 5.6 feet of rain over six days.
Two people died earlier in the week, and one person remained missing after being swept off a bridge. Authorities had initially expected Krathon to bring devastation comparable to a major typhoon that hit Kaohsiung in 1977, causing 37 deaths. However, the typhoon lost steam shortly after making landfall and reaching the mountains northeast of the city, according to the Central Weather Administration.
Krathon joins Typhoon Trami (2001) as one of only two typhoons in recent history to “die” over Taiwan, the weather agency said.
