Taiwan shuts down for Typhoon Krathon

Officials in key port city tell people to stay home, away from seas, rivers and mountains

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KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan - Taiwan shut down on Oct 2, grounding hundreds of flights and closing schools, offices and financial markets ahead of the arrival of a weakening Typhoon Krathon, with one person reported dead and torrential rain lashing the island's south.

Officials in the key port city of Kaohsiung, set to be in the eye of the storm, told people to stay at home and away from the sea, rivers and mountains, warning of a repeat of 1977's Typhoon Thelma, which killed 37 people and devastated the city of 2.7 million.

Although the typhoon has weakened, threats from a storm surge, strong winds and rain remain, as it slowly makes its way towards Taiwan's coast, weather forecasters said.

The typhoon would lose power once it hit land, said Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai, but would still bring intense winds and rain.

"But if it moves north, the winds will strengthen again, so the threat to Kaohsiung will continue to exist, and people cannot take this lightly," he told reporters.