Typhoon Champi Leaves One Dead, Hundreds Injured Across Taiwan

Powerful waves topple a 250-ton crane at this port in eastern Taiwan on Friday, before Typhoon Gaemi rages into the weekend. Overnight, gusts of over 100 kilometers per hour knock down power lines and traffic lights and even uprooted trees. As of Saturday, one person had died and over 500 were injured. Officials are still working to restore service to some of the over 277,000 households that lost power. Emergency officials were also monitoring over 6,000 reports, mostly of felled trees and store signs. The northern half of Taiwan announced a second day of work closures as heavy rain and wind continued. Weather forecasters say they expect the storm to weaken, but urge people to stay indoors if possible. The typhoon hit some of Taiwan's outlying islands particularly hard. Several homes on Green Island flooded after being hit by surging waves. On Orchid Island, strong winds knocked down a power line on Friday, sparking a fire. For some areas, the worst of the storm has already passed. In Hualien on Taiwan's east coast, residents are trying to clean up the damage on their own and are asking for more help. As the typhoon passes by Taiwan, officials will continue monitoring any major damage as they start to turn their efforts towards rebuilding and recovery. Justin Wu and Tiffany Wong for Taiwan Plus.