At exactly 9:21 AM on September 21st, a presidential emergency alert is sent to people’s phones across the country... but this time, the message is not warning of imminent disaster. Instead, it marks the anniversary of the magnitude 7.3 Jiji Earthquake that shook central Taiwan’s Nantou county 27 years ago.
On September 21st, 1999, more than 2,400 people were killed ... A hundred thousand buildings toppled... and over 11 billion US dollars in damage was recorded.
Some people in Taipei are still shaken by the memory of the quake.
TAIPEI RESIDENT 1:
"There had never been such a huge quake. I remember a fish tank in our house [sloshing around] and the metal shutters rattling. It was really terrifying."
Taiwan sits on 36 active seismic belts... and records tens of thousands of small and large tremors each year.
The most recent similar disaster was in 2024, when a magnitude 7.1 quake struck the eastern county of Hualien, killing 19 people.
Since the Jiji earthquake, the country has been working to strengthen its disaster response... including phone alerts for impending quakes and tsunamis.
TAIPEI RESIDENT 2:
"[The earthquake alerts] are helpful. I would say [their timing] is around 90% accurate. Nowadays, we know how to respond to quakes and we don’t panic as much because we get advance warning. That’s why I think [the alerts] have an effect."
TAIPEI RESIDENT 1:
"Whether it’s extreme weather or natural disasters they can’t be prevented. [These measures] help people to be ready at any time."
Over the weekend, President Lai Ching-te announced that Taiwan is founding the World Alliance for Disaster Management... which aims to increase joint personnel training and drills with official allies and unofficial observers.
With first responders and the public prepared... officials hope to minimize damage when the next tremor hits.
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