Typhoon Kong-rey has made landfall on Taiwan's southeast coast, bringing 200-kilometer-per-hour winds and widespread destruction to the city of Taitung.
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00:00Typhoon Kongrei lashes Taitung. Sitting between the mountains and the ocean, this is one of
00:07Taiwan's most important agricultural hubs. Its fields and orchards now wrecked by the
00:13biggest typhoon to hit in decades. The city streets largely empty, schools and offices
00:20closed for the day.
00:22I'm afraid it will fall. I'm afraid of the typhoon.
00:25I'm not used to it. If you're not used to it, you'll be scared. It's impossible to get used to it.
00:31But everyone needs to be prepared.
00:33Taiwan's east coast is regularly battered by tropical storms throughout its summer.
00:38But Kongrei is the largest in size to make landfall here in 26 years.
00:43Gusts have been reaching 200km an hour here in the centre of Taitung as Typhoon Kongrei
00:49rips through the city. Those extreme winds have been downing trees, traffic lights and
00:54electrical wires.
00:56The county government has put emergency services on their highest alert and issued evacuation
01:01notices for mountainous areas at risk of landslides. A warning local officials hope is heeded.
01:20Both officials and residents here hope they have done enough to prepare for this storm.
01:35The farmers still sheltering in place, waiting for morning to assess the extent of the damage
01:40wrought on their land by Kongrei.
01:43Ryan Woo, Chris Ma and Rick Lowatt in Taitung for Taiwan Plus.
01:49For more UN videos visit www.un.org