ABSTRACT
On August 8, 2009, Typhoon Morakot brought heavy rain to Taiwan and caused catastrophic damage to southern Taiwan with record-breaking rainfall of 2,900 millimeters (114 inches) in three days. Rainstorms, mudslides, and floods destroyed some towns, and a mountain village, Xiaolin, was buried by the mudslide. Reports indicate that 693 people died, 97 people were missing, and decades of aboriginal villagers were forced to move. It was estimated that economic losses reached NT$90.4 billion (US$31.2 billion), about 0.75 percent of GDP.
