Cable news reports showed coffee-colored flood waters flowing down the narrow streets of Nantou in central Taiwan and palm trees that were ripped out of the ground by high winds. Flights and trains were canceled between Taipei and cities in central and southeastern Taiwan. Fishing boats from China were taking refuge in Taiwanese ports. Toraji follows five other tropical storms that have hit Taiwan this year. Tropical storms and typhoons hit the region frequently during the summer.
Typhoons develop west of the international date line, while hurricanes are spawned east of the line.
They are known as cyclones in the Indian Ocean. A tropical storm becomes a typhoon when its surface winds reach 74 mph. Inc. All rights reserved.