National Space Organization (NSPO) and National Cheng Kung University Disaster Prevention Research Center have held a press conference on August 26. The purpose of this press conference is to disclose the evaluation result of mudflow damages caused by Typhoon Aere. The evaluation was done by using high resolution image processing and reviewing images of Hsinchu County's Wu Feng Township and Jian Shih Township captured by FORMOSAT-2 after Typhoon Aere.

Typhoon Aere had severely damaged northern part of Taiwan. Especially in Hsinchu County's Wu Feng Township and Jian Shih Township, Typhoon Aere had brought severe geological disasters such as mudflow and ground collapse. Numerous lives and significant amount of assets were lost. To fulfill its mission of supporting national disaster prevention and rescue, FORMOSAT-2, which was launched on May 2, had again fully taken advantages of its unique features of auto-control, special orbit design, and high image resolution. This was the second disaster rescue support mission for FORMOSAT-2 after it was used for the investigation of the flooding on July 2. Immediately after Typhoon Aere's departure, FORMOSAT-2 had continuously captured images of the disaster areas in Taiwan. Then, these images were immediately processed and reviewed by the staffs in the National Cheng Kung University Disaster Prevention Center. Although image-capturing was hampered by the heavy clouds in the sky, under the diligent efforts from the staffs of NSPO and National Cheng Kung University Disaster Prevention Center, precious images of the disaster areas were still captured through the temporary cracks among clouds.

Comparing the images taken by FORMOSAT-2 before (July 11) and after (August 26) Typhoon Aere, three mud flow disaster areas were identified in Tao Shan Village, Wu Feng Township, Hsinchu County. The disaster areas are located at three different mudflow potential streams, Chu 011, Chu 012, and Chu 013, disclosed by Council of Agriculture. There was significant collapsing at the left side of the check station and on the branches of mudflow potential stream Chu 013. From the images, it was determined that the major disaster area occurred at mudflow potential stream Chu 011 (or around the Ching-Chuan Hot Spring Zone). Significant amount of mud had traveled down through the middle of potential stream channel and constricted toward the end. Part of the mudflow had buried houses and widened the downstream river channels. While roads to most of the disaster areas were still blocked, FORMOSAT-2 was able to capture precious images of the disaster areas for the purpose of disaster rescue. FORMOSAT-2 had proved to be an advantageous tool for evaluation and investigation during the time of sever natural disasters. In the future, FORMOSAT-2 satellite images can have significant impacts on the investigation and monitoring of the geological disasters.