Professor Chiang Shih-chiao of NTU's geography department says that according to meteorological records, northeasterly typhoons always bring large quantities of rain, so as Typhoon Herb approached the reservoir should have been emptied in readiness. But the reservoir administration bureau feared that if the rain didn't come as expected and this resulted in a water shortage come the dry season, they would once again become the butt of publianger.
台大地理系教授張石角表示，根據過去氣象紀錄，西北台都會帶來大量雨水，賀伯來臨，水庫早應空庫等著，但水庫管理局擔心萬一雨沒來，到了旱季缺水，又成眾矢之的。