Embassy of the United States

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 this page: "Emergency Assistance to American Citizens Abroad" at http://travel.state.gov/

Also click here for the detailed information on Natural Disaster Preparedness and Response.

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 through October, although storms are most frequent from July to October. Well before the arrival of the typhoon season, you should insure that you 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.usno.navy.mil/JTWC 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/ also offers advice on preparing for typhoons.

Pandemic Influenza and Sheltering-In-Place

The U.S. Department of State provides the following information to U.S. citizens overseas to guide them in preparation for a pandemic:

• Avian Influenza Fact Sheet
• Shelter-in Place Guidance
• Frequently Asked Questions about Avian Influenza and Pandemic Influenza

The Fact Sheet cited above includes current U.S. Government policy for the preparation, evacuation, and shelter-in-place contingencies for all overseas employees under Chief of Mission authority (including AIT employees), and their accompanying dependents, during a pandemic.
Overseas citizens are also encouraged to refer to the pandemicflu.gov website, with particular attention to the individual planning checklist, and the WHO website www.who.int/en/ while doing their emergency planning.

The Taiwan authorities post information regarding Avian Influenza at this site for the Council of Agriculture.  The Department of Health issued a prevention handbook in 2005.  The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine posts news here.

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 this page: "Evacuation Plan" 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.

Click here for the detailed information from the Department of State on evacuations.

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.

Click here for detailed medical information in Taiwan.

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.

Click here for more information on Crime Victim Assistance in Taiwan.