NTU Team’s Early Warning Leads to Record Evacuation at Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake

Professors Gene Jiing-Yun You and Kuo-Hsin Yang of the International College's MS Program in Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience (MDR3) assisted the Ministry of the Interior in conducting disaster analysis of the Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake in Hualien, providing an evacuation assessment model that became a key basis for decision-making. According to the Central Emergency Operations Center, more than 8,000 people were evacuated during this event — a record high for a single township-level evacuation. The Ministry of the Interior stated that among multiple evacuation models, the assessment developed by the National Taiwan University (NTU) team was ultimately adopted, leading to an expansion of the evacuation area.

According to the Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake Monitoring website, the NTU disaster prevention team assessed on September 21 that the potential flooding caused by overflow would be more severe than previously estimated. This prompted central authorities to preemptively designate 8,000 residents for evacuation on the same day. 

The decision to expand evacuation operations before the typhoon’s arrival successfully reduced the potential risk of casualties.

#Left (4): Prof. Gene Jiing-Yun You; Left (5): Prof. Kuo-Hsin Yang

#Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake: Flood Simulation Prediction Range


#Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake: Actual Flooded Area

#Actual view of Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake