Taiwan’s geological authority has issued an alert that the island is likely to be hit by a tsunami. According to an official examination, a magnitude-8 earthquake may strike both the Ryukyu and Manila trenches, triggering a tsunami within one hour’s time.
The distance between the two trenches and Taiwan is less than 4-hundred kilometers. The steep terrain along the Eastern coast becomes a barrier to guard against the tsunami. However, areas between Chiayi and Pingtung, as well as keelong and Ilan have the highest risk of being hit by the tsunami, due to the shallow waters around.
In response, the local meteorological bureau has strengthened its earthquake-monitoring efforts by installing underwater seismometers. Meanwhile, staff at nuclear plants are also taking precautionary measures in advance.