"盧碧"海警發布 鳳山忠義里逢大雨必淹 Sea Warning for Tropical Storm Lupit Issued

The news of a tropical storm approaching has worried residents of Kaohsiung's Zhongyi Borough, which is situated in a low-lying area and flooded three times in June. Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chi-mai said he will meet with officials to discuss the problem. 
 

In July, heavy rains turned Fu Chien Road in Fengshan District into rivers. Residents say this happens multiple times a year. A local motorcycle repair shop also complains that vehicles and parts have to be moved every time it rains.

Liu Yu-chiao, Motorcycle Repair Shop Manager："We can't install flood gates here because (the water) will start coming out of drainage holes."

Lee Chao-ching, Zhongyi Borough Chief："(The city government's) standard for a natural disaster is rainfall over 75 millimeters and they say we should just grin and bear it if rainfall doesn't exceed this standard. Maybe we shouldn't have to pay taxes from June to October then."

The chief of Zhongyi Borough says the city treats the borough as a detention basin for Fengshan. Local officials are calling on the city government to adjust flood prevention standards. In response, Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chi-mai says he will come up with a solution, possibly by setting drainage controls for the Fengshan Tropical Horticultural Experiment Branch.

Chen Chi-mai, Kaohsiung City Mayor："For Fengshan, (we'll first) make divert Caofong Canal and make some improvements to underground pipes and culverts. Then, we'll make adjustments to water drainage controls from the Fengshan Tropical Horticultural Experiment Branch."

Meanwhile, a new tropical storm expected to affect both Taiwan proper and its offshore islands is approaching.

Liu Yu-chi, Senior Forecaster, Central Weather Bureau："We may issue a typhoon warning sometime this afternoon or evening. Based on [Tropical Storm Lupit's] current path and strength, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu have a greater chance of being affected. We may also issue a land warning on the afternoon of [Aug. 5]."

Detention basins require time to plan and build, and residents of Zhongyi Borough say it's too little, too late. They say all they can do is pray this new tropical storm won't bring too much rain.

高雄鳳山府前路7月中因強降雨，直接變成溪流，但這已經不是第一次，10多年來每次遇到豪大雨，鳳山忠義里、也就是市府的鳳山行政中心附近就會淹水，附近的重機店每次下大雨就得移車、搬零件，非常困擾。

重機店維修店長 劉宇僑表示：「這個地方，它又沒有辦法去做防水閘門。因為它(水)會從那個排水孔，倒噴出來，所以做那個其實沒有用。」

高雄鳳山忠義里長 李朝清表示：「（市府說)下大雨超過75毫米，這是天災，你不能老是叫我，意思是叫我們說，在這一段期間，叫我們里民要忍耐嗎？那麼(乾脆)我們就六、七、八、九、十(月)，我們就不用繳稅了。」

一直淹水讓里長抱怨，忠義里根本就是鳳山的滯洪池之一，里長跟民代希望市府因應極端氣候、拉高防洪標準。市長陳其邁表示，將在農委會鳳山園藝試驗所做出流管制，設法解決淹水。

高雄市長 陳其邁表示：「（會先做)鳳山地區的這一些，包括曹公圳的分流，跟有一些雨水下水道、箱涵、幹管的一個改善。第二個，就是可能最重要的工作，就是把園藝試驗所出流的管制，可以把它做好。」

雖然市府正在想辦法改善，但新的颱風盧碧已經生成，恐怕這兩天開始就會影響到外島跟台灣。

氣象局資深預報員 劉宇其表示：「我們有可能在下午，到傍晚的這一段時間，發布海上颱風警報。而根據目前的路徑來看，假如強度上沒有太大的變化，路徑沒有太大的變化，對於澎湖、金門、馬祖的影響，是比較大的。我們也可能會在明天下午，有機會在下半天的時候，發布陸上颱風警報。」

滯洪池等建設需要時間，對於已經淹水淹了10多年的里民來說，恐怕緩不濟急，只希望這次颱風帶來的雨能小一點，別讓他們又面臨淹水惡夢。