Crisis Awareness and Preparedness

The Department of State web site contains a great deal of useful information about a wide variety of man-made and natural disasters and how to prepare for or avoid them. To access this section, please go to http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1212.html

Detailed information on Natural Disaster Preparedness and Response is available here: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1207.html

Earthquakes

Taiwan is subject to severe earthquakes, most recently in September 1999 when more than 2,000 people were killed in an earthquake in Central Taiwan. Everyone residing in Taiwan needs to have an emergency plan for dealing with the aftermath of a severe earthquake. Taipei Living published by the Community Service Center offers some excellent advice on this subject. Among the many useful web sites on the internet are the U.S. Red Cross web site at http://www.redcross.org/, the U.S. Geological Survey web site at http://www.usgs.gov/, the Los Angeles Fire Department web site at http://www.lafd.org/, and FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency web site at http://www.fema.gov/.

Typhoons

The typhoon season in Taiwan runs from April though October although storms are most frequent from July to October. Well before the arrival of the typhoon season, you should insure that your have emergency supplies on hand such as candles and matches, flashlights and batteries, a first aid kit, canned food, bottled water, plastic sheeting, etc. In the event of an approaching typhoon you should tune your radio to ICRT (100.7FM) which provides English-language news or you can visit the web site of Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau at http://www.cwb.gov.tw/. (The button to select the English version is in the upper right hand corner of the screen.) Other web sites offering typhoon tracking information are http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc.html and http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/.

If it appears that a typhoon will hit your area, you must make adequate preparations. Taipei Living, published by the Community Service Center includes a checklist of steps to take if it is predicted that a typhoon is going to hit Taiwan. The web site for the U.S. Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/) or http://explorezone.com/ are just two of the many web sites on the Internet which offer advice on preparing for typhoons.

Pandemic Influenza and Sheltering-In-Place

Health professionals are concerned that the continued spread of a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus among animals (mainly poultry) in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe has the potential to significantly threaten human health. If highly pathogenic avian influenza, such as the H5N1 subtype, mutates and spreads easily from one person to another, influenza could break out globally, and lead to a pandemic. While there are no reports of sustained human-to-human transmission of such a virus, the U.S. Government and international health agencies are advising Americans living, working and/or traveling overseas how to prepare for a pandemic, should one strike.

Private American citizens should be aware that it may not be possible to travel during an outbreak. Governments may close borders suddenly and without advance warning; commercial air, land and sea carriers could curtail or cancel service; and restricting travel may be the best way to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus. These developments could impede a return to the United States or travel to another country or region. Therefore, Americans who are overseas during a pandemic may need to remain where they are until conditions improve, a situation which could last several months.

Detailed information about Avian Influenza and Shelter-in-Place guidance is available here:
http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_3096.html

An Avian Influenza Fact Sheet is available here: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_1181.html

Evacuation Planning

Many different circumstances, such as a major natural disaster, could result in you deciding to evacuate your family to the U.S. In order to prepare for this possibility, please go to http://www.state.gov/www/flo/paper10.html which contains a paper on this subject prepared by the Family Liaison Office of the Department of State. Although some of the information is relevant only to U.S. government employees, it contains a great deal of advice that is useful to anyone living overseas.

Detailed information from the Department of State on evacuations is available at: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1211.html

Personal Emergencies

Medical

Soon after your arrival in Taiwan you should determine the location of the nearest emergency room. Unless you have local health insurance, you will be expected to pay for services immediately. Therefore, if you need to go to the emergency room try to take cash and a friend to stand in line for you. Please be aware that many U.S. health insurance programs, including Medicare, do not provide coverage for medical care overseas. If you are going to be traveling/living abroad, you should make sure that you have appropriate coverage. While AIT can help you transfer money from relatives or friends in the U.S. to pay your medical bills, we are unable to pay them for you.

Crime

Although the crime rate in Taiwan is relatively low, burglaries, pick pocketing, and robberies are not unknown. Be prepared by keeping photocopies of your passport, other identification, and credit cards. Also have the necessary telephone numbers on hand to notify financial institutions of your losses. Contact your nearest Foreign Affairs Police office to report the crime. If you lose your passport, see our Passports section for information on how to replace it.