Yilan flooding

Yilan's been dumped the most rain this time (800mL in one day in some places), and I was sent there tonight.

Changed out of my suit top and jeans, and into a T-shirt, tights, water-resistant gear and a pair of very cute rain boots.




The first thing I noticed was how flooded the rice and vegetable paddies were, and that you could easily mistake the water for pavement when it is dark and drive right in. We saw a whole lot of flooding, sandbags, some minor mudslides and evacuated residents.

It was wet and freezing. The rain came down in buckets. Windshield wipers were useless. Sometimes we would practically press our eyes onto the windshield so that we could see the road. My jacket was useless - the water-resistant membrane was long gone. My boots were practically useless too - the water came over the top and into them. I was soaked to the bone.

We got back around 2h00, but I was more cold than tired. After changing out of the wet clothes and downing several cups of really warm water, I felt so much better. Reporting from Yilan was much more interesting than from the Central Weather Bureau, but it was such a relief to be back in Taipei, warm and dry.