Comparing Taiwan’s 1959 26-inch rainfall disaster with the 2005 Katrina U.S. Hurricane 比較台灣八七水災與美國颶風Katrina

Comparing Taiwan’s 1959 26-inch rainfall disaster with the 2005 Katrina U.S. Hurricane 比較台灣八七水災與美國颶風Katrina President Bush winds up his vacation and returns to White House to start his heavy September schedule with multiple tasks. It has not been an enjoyable vacation for the hardworking president. Cindy Sheehan followed him at the onset, and then the hurricane followed. A computer’s CPU can process concurrent multi-tasking, so should the President. Comparing Taiwan’s August 7, 1959 flood to the current floods in America caused by the hurricane. The Taiwan flood was a blessing in disguise. Because of the flood, Taiwan was forced to survey the land, and through this process, recombine the parcels of land, which allowed Taiwan to continue in its agricultural and industrial development. Taiwan was not finished by the flood, but Taiwan modernized its infrastructure under the leadership of the Nationalist government. In the crisis, the ROC government in Taiwan learned how to allocate the resources, and provide for the needy. The man who was assigned the task in Taiwan was KT Lee, he did a great management job in appropriating the funds, and helped founding new enterprises. KT Lee followed the tradition of great Nationalist economist Yin Zhong Rong (尹仲容). On August 7th,1959, Taichung had a big rainfall, in one day, it accumulated 660 millimeters, or 26 inches. During Katrina, the rainfall was 10 inches. In 1959, Taiwan’s meteorology technology was backward, they had no satellite cloud charts. They had no forecast that the epic rainfall was to arrive, the largest in over 60 years of meteorological record. They had no reservoirs to store the flood. So there was no prevention and aid, one night the flood surged to Taiwan’s central area. After the water retreated, on August 9th, 667 were reported dead and 408 missing, over 200,000 people became homeless. 1964 民國五十三年 具防洪、發電等多項功能的石門水庫竣工啟用。 In 1964, with the multi-purpose of preventing flood and electricity power, the ShiMeng, StoneGate Reservoir was completed and ready for the opening ceremony. 1854(咸豐4年) 美國培理艦隊停泊基隆。 Story of China, Taiwan vs. Japan’s Being Offered a Chance to Open Up and Remake itself. In 1854, American Commodore Perry’s Fleet docked at Ji Long Harbor in the North of Taiwan. Perry opened Japan’s door, and Japan started to reform, and adopted Western shipping methods. 日本在1854年被美國培理艦隊敲開鎖國大門後，幕府與各藩就曾主動採取製造西式船炮、訓練新式 This was a blessing in disguise and Japan had the advantage over China who was opened by British more than 10 years earlier, in the Treaty of Nanking, 1842, when five sea ports were forced to open for trade by the Britain. We can’t say the storm is detrimental and perhaps, this will give American people the chance to work concertedly.