Typhoon Champi leaves one dead, hundreds injured in Taiwan

Typhoon Champi left one person dead and more than 500 injured after sweeping past Taiwan on Oct. 24, bringing powerful winds and torrential rain that knocked out electricity, toppled trees and disrupted flights. The storm, at one point a super typhoon and among the strongest in the Pacific that year, weakened as it moved north toward the Chinese coast, though it was not expected to make landfall there. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said Champi’s center was about 170 km northeast of the island after glancing off Yilan County. Wind gusts reached 227 kph in some coastal areas, and Taiwan’s fire department reported the death of a person swept away by waves near Liuqiu. Authorities said 527 were injured. More than 288,000 homes lost power, and 259 flights were canceled that day. Across parts of northern and central Taiwan, including Taipei, officials ordered a second day of office and school closures.