Changhua Community Struggles After Typhoon, Blames Public Works for Flooding

Residents of a neighborhood flooded in last week's typhoon say a public works project is to blame, not the rain.

Transcript

00:00There's a standoff underway in this Zhanghua neighborhood, with police facing over a hundred

00:04angry residents.

00:06Just over a week ago, this area was underwater after intense downpours brought by Typhoon

00:10Gemi overwhelmed the local river.

00:13The losses have been immense, and people here say they could have been prevented.

00:18This crowd blames public works along the riverbanks for narrowing the river, leaving the sudden

00:22rush of water with nowhere to drain.

00:24This is an industrial part of Taiwan, and livelihoods are at stake.

00:49An initial damage report puts this paper goods factory's losses at over US$600,000.

00:55The owner says his family has been in the neighborhood for years, and they've lived

00:58through many typhoons without ever seeing this kind of flooding.

01:01He agrees that poorly designed public works are to blame.

01:19The officials say they will dismantle this metal sheeting for now, and re-evaluate flood

01:23control measures here, though they dispute the idea that this was what made last week's

01:27flooding so bad.

01:37But this, and the central government's promise of up to US$1,500 in subsidies for eligible

01:42households damaged by flooding, have not calmed local anger.

01:47Officials say this was a human-made disaster, not a natural one.

01:51Business owners in particular want more subsidies and tax deductions for damage.

01:55And the protest in Changhua County is just one glimpse at one community's response to

02:00a disaster that's marked the whole nation.

02:02From farms to businesses to transport links, Taiwan has a steep bill to pay before it can

02:08move on.

02:09John Su and John Van Triest for Taiwan Plus.