Hualien Landslide Dam Disaster Drill Scheduled for April 30; Traffic Restrictions in Warning Zones

Ahead of the upcoming flood season, the Hualien County Government will conduct a disaster prevention drill for the Mataian River landslide dam in Guangfu Township on April 30. From 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM, the Mataian River temporary bridge will be closed, and traffic control will be enforced in warning zones. Residents are required to participate in the drill following emergency cell broadcast messages and specific landslide dam alarm sounds. The exercise, hosted by the Hualien County Government, is divided into a morning tabletop simulation and an afternoon field exercise. Participating units include various local government departments, township offices of Guangfu, Fenglin, and Wanrong, as well as central agencies such as the Water Resources Agency and the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, the military, and NGOs like the Tzu Chi Foundation. During the field drill, test disaster warning SMS messages will be sent to residents in the affected areas. The landslide dam specific alarm consists of 5-second bursts with 5-second pauses, repeated nine times for a total of 85 seconds, while a continuous 90-second siren signifies the all-clear. The Water Resources Agency noted that 22.10 million cubic meters of sediment have been dredged from the Mataian and Hualien Rivers, restoring flood capacity to pre-disaster levels. Monitoring systems for yellow (preventative) and red (mandatory) warnings have been established based on rainfall and water levels.