TAIPEI, Taiwan - More than 1,000 residents have been evacuated from mountainous areas of Taiwan as a powerful typhoon approaches the island, threatening to dump rains that could unleash deadly landslides.
The military says thousands of soldiers equipped with dozens of rubber boats and amphibious vehicles are ready to help with relief.
The Central Weather Bureau says Typhoon Tembin was located about 250 kilometers (150 miles) off Taitung county in southeastern Taiwan on Thursday, packing winds of 144 kilometers (90 miles) per hour.
It says slow-moving Tembin may make landfall early Friday and predicts up to 1 meter (40 inches) of rain in several eastern counties.
Farmers were harvesting to save their produce, and flights to the east were suspended. Outdoor events to mark a special Taiwanese Valentine's Day on Thursday were canceled.