Dr. Chen Story Time: I survived the big flood in Taiwan

I wonder why I am still alive today. Am I just lucky or some other reasons which I still do not understand now.

The following story describes how I brushed off death by a hair in the worst flood Taiwan had since 1945, the so called 1959 August 7 flood, or 八七水災*1.

The fateful event took place on August 8, 1959. I was only 13 years old. Dad was working at Taichung (台中). He did not come home on August 7. My other siblings were either in Taipei (台北), or Tainan (台南), or abroad. At home, there were only four persons: Mom, my sister, Lina (麗娜) who was only 5 years old, and me.

Typhoon Ellen has brought torrential rains that pounded on my neighborhood since August 7, 1959. This typhoon was formed in the seas south of Japan, and brought a tropical depression from around the Pratas Islands to Taiwan. Rainstorms raged for three days, from August 7 through August 9, covering almost the entire western region, with the heaviest rainfall coming on the 7th. The incessant rain was accompanied by continuous, frightening thunder and lightning. In nine hours (at night of August 7) 811 mm. of rain dumped itself on Changhua (彰化) and its adjacent areas. By early next morning, all the streets in Changhua (彰化) were inundated. The previous record was 412 mm.

Normally, the vast area of forest in central or eastern Taiwan was able to absorb this large amount of rainfall. Flooding had occurred in the past. But no one had expected that the flooding this time would be different from the previous experiences. However, since Chiang Kai-Sheik’s (蔣介石) regime brought 1 million retreated, rugged and undisciplined troops and civilians over to Taiwan, deforestation had taken place at an acceleration rate. A large portion of the forest has been either converted into cropland or residential areas. The natural flood prevention system has been largely lost. The authorities should have been aware of the fact that this large amount of rainfall could cause severe damage to many west-central counties of Taiwan.

Additionally, the weather stations of the U.S. in the Pacific, mostly in Japan also gave Taiwan authority a warning: that the tidewater from the sea was invading Taiwan at the same time of the unprecedented rainfall.

Unfortunately , Taiwan authority under Chiang ignored the warning. No evacuation order was given, nor any siren sounded to warn the residents of the pending flood danger either. Most American remember 2005’s Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. President Bush and his administration were heavily criticized for their disaster prevention and relief efforts. In Taiwan, no one dared to criticize the government. The regime’s major concern was to suppress the populace. Chiang’s regime had declared martial law in 1949 which ended in 1987. In those almost 40 years of martial law, all resources went to defense, police and civilian surveillance, nothing to go to the well being of the civilians.

The relentless seven hours of continuous rainfall occurred at night while everyone was asleep. Torrential rain is very common in Taiwan. Nobody gave a second thought about the impending danger of the typhoon.

Rain actually stopped in the morning of August 8. Mom’s first concern was if the roof in the kitchen was leaking again. It has happened many times in the past. This time was no different. I placed a bucket to collect the rain water leaking from the roof. Although the dirt streets were flooded about ankle-deep, the floor in our house was only a little wet. My sister and I helped mom to wipe the wet floor to keep it dry. Everything looked normal. Taiwanese had experienced these problems thousands of times before, not knowing that this time would be different.

Suddenly, we heard a loud voice thundering, “The embankment of Ta-Tu-Ke (or Big-Stomach River ( 大肚溪), the river that separates Taichung (台中) and Chang-Hua (彰化) counties), has failed. Run, Run, Run for your life.”

The person who called to us to run was Mr. Huang who lived a few houses away from my house. In the normal day, he was quiet and soft-spoken. We kids called him O-Zi-San (ぉじさん, a Japanese phrase adopted in Taiwanese language. It means ‘Mr’ but in a very respectful manner.). He did not have any connection with the police or government institution. Should we trust him?

Mom’s first reaction to the call was to put coal-blocks on a high table so that she would have something to make a fire with and cook when the typhoon was over. My sister and I were helping her to put coal blocks on the table.

Mr. Huang cried out again. This time was even more forceful with an authoritative tone. He told Mom, “ O-Ba-San (ぉバさん, a respectful addressing for ‘Mrs’. This was also a Taiwanese-adopted Japanese phrase). Run quickly. Stop your work now. Strangely, mom listened to his call this time. We quickly ran outside looking for 2-story or 3-story concrete houses that was about a quarter mile away.

Surely, the flood water did rush in our neighborhood. Starting at the ankle height, after 5 blocks, it became knee height. By the time we reached a 3-story-house, it was already chest-height. Mom held my hand while I held my sister’s hand with my free hand. Three of us half-ran, half waded to reach the 3-story house. The door was already open. About a dozen neighbors were there to greet us. Along the main street, doors of every 2-story or 3-story concrete house were open showing the genuine compassion and hospitality of the Taiwanese to strangers. The host and the hostess of the 3-story house actually prepared warm meals for us. We stayed at their place on the night of August 8. We returned home on August 9. If we would have run 5 minutes later, all three of us would have drowned.

Through the window of the 3-story concrete house, we witness the flood scenes with great horror for the drowned neighbors and collapsed houses. The official casualty of the flood was 669 dead, 852 injured, 377 missing and 248,184 homeless--victims of Taiwan's worst flood disaster since 1898.

One of the most tragic scenes was witnessed near a railway signpost outside of Changhua (彰化) when flood workers sighted a pair of legs sticking out of a heap of debris. As they dug out the body of a six-year-old boy, they found three more bodies. They were two younger boys and a woman, who appeared to be about thirty and several months pregnant. Apparently she was the mother of all three. They held each other's hand in a firm grip.

The strangest thing that happened in this story was about Mr. Huang’s calling for his neighbors to run for their lives. These days when everyone has a phone and internet, such a flood warning by Mr. Huang would not be a surprise at all. However, the flood was in 1959, and no one in our neighborhood has a telephone. A few families might have radios, however, radios do not work when there is no electricity. The utility had been damaged by the storm. He did not have any government connection. How did he know that the embankment of the river failed (Actually, he was correct in this aspect. The official records did show that the embankment of Ta-Tu-Ke failed in the morning of August 8)? How could this quiet and soft-spoken O-Zi-San (おじさん) come to speak with a loud and convincing tone to ask every family to leave at once? How could Mom believe in him and have saved three lives of the family? Any missteps or misjudgment could result in the drowning of a whole family.

I brushed off death in this big flood by a hair. Besides saying thank you to whoever divine, I must treasure this life and live my life fully because this is the best way to express my gratitude.

Figure 1: Flooding of the Big-Stomach River.