More than 5,000 households in Chiayi County were left without electricity on Wednesday after powerful winds from Typhoon Podul toppled trees and damaged power lines across coastal and mountain regions, according to the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower).

Taipower’s Chiayi branch reported that Podul made landfall in Taimali, Taitung, at 1 p.m. before crossing Taiwan and reentering the sea near Qigu, Tainan, around 4 p.m., citing Central News Agency reports. Multiple outages were reported from the afternoon in both lowland and highland communities.

By 5 p.m., approximately 5,192 households had lost power, with electricity restored to about 1,000. The most affected areas were Budai and Yijhu along the coast, as well as Alishan, Fanlu, and Dapu in mountainous regions.

Taipower said the storm’s radius continued to impact Chiayi’s coastal zones late into the afternoon, forcing some repair work to be suspended for safety reasons. In preparation, crews had staged crane trucks, aerial lift vehicles, and generators in key areas to accelerate repairs once wind conditions improve.

Authorities urged residents to stay away from downed power lines, fallen utility poles, and damaged electrical equipment during the storm, and to report hazards through the 1911 hotline or the Taiwan Power mobile app.

Taipower stated that full-scale repair operations will resume as soon as weather conditions allow, with priority given to restoring service in the hardest-hit communities. (ILKHA)