The first earthquake struck Taitung on September 17, 2022, occurring with a magnitude of 6.5 Mw , causing minor damage and some injuries.

The second earthquake occurred roughly a day after the first tremor struck the same area, with a stronger magnitude of 6.9 Mw .

The island is the result of uplift caused by the collision between the northern end of the Luzon Arc and the continental margin of mainland China.

[10] The largest foreshock occurred on 17 September, measuring 6.4 ML  by the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

[14] The Hong Kong Observatory received 10 reports of people feeling shaking; an analysis indicated it was felt with a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of III.

[19] The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory with waves up to a meter high for Miyakojima and the Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.

The Kaohsiung Metro system was temporarily suspended due to the shaking, and objects fell from shelves in Taitung City, where an old house collapsed.

[36] Along Zhongshan Road in Yuli, Hualien, a three-storey building housing a 7-Eleven store collapsed, injuring four people, who were all rescued.

[49] In a speech made shortly after the second earthquake, President Tsai Ing-wen warned of large aftershocks and called for citizens to remain vigilant.

Schools and workplaces had to be close after noon of 18 September in the villages of Wulu, Lidao, Xinwu, and Haiduan.