By outdoor-nature-child.com During a quarterly news briefing held by the Ministry of Emergency Management on October 22, spokesperson Shen Zhanli provided insights into a recent analysis conducted by the National Disaster Reduction Committee. This analysis focuses on the situation regarding natural disasters throughout the first three quarters of the year.
According to Shen, the primary types of natural disasters in China during this period included floods, geological disasters, storms, typhoons, and low-temperature events, while droughts, earthquakes, sandstorms, and wildfires also occurred in varying degrees. The impact of these disasters has been significant, affecting approximately 84.03 million people across the nation. Tragically, there have been 836 reported deaths and missing persons due to these events, with 3.347 million individuals requiring emergency relocation. The destruction included 50,000 collapsed homes and 630,000 damaged structures, while 9.048 million hectares of crops were impacted, leading to direct economic losses estimated at 323.2 billion yuan.
Shen highlighted several key characteristics observed in the natural disasters over the first three quarters. First, there was a marked spatial and temporal disparity in disaster occurrences, with a trend of more severe events in the south compared to the north. Notably, the critical flood control period from July to August experienced significant damage, accounting for 38% of the death toll and 32% of the economic losses during the three quarters.
Second, the intensity of rainfall has been extreme, leading to an uptick in floods and geological disasters. The national average rainfall reached 633.3 millimeters, which is 10.5% above normal for this time of year. The country experienced 36 regional heavy rainfall events, with prolonged rainfall and overlapping affected areas triggering floods and geological incidents.
Third, the late formation of typhoons has notably impacted South and East China. The super typhoon “Mokha,” which struck in early September, has been recorded as the strongest autumn typhoon to hit the country. It impacted approximately 2.73 million people in the provinces of Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan, resulting in four deaths and the emergency relocation of 459,000 individuals.
Fourth, alternating phases of drought have occurred in both northern and southern regions, with areas like Sichuan and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River experiencing drought conditions. While rainfall improved in northern locations by July, droughts have been exacerbated since August, particularly in Sichuan and the surrounding areas, affecting nearly 4.762 million people and damaging 335,200 hectares of crops as of the end of September.
Shen emphasized the importance of vigilance as the country enters the autumn and winter fire prevention season. With ongoing risks from windstorms, floods, and geological disasters in some areas, he urged that disaster prevention and mitigation efforts must remain a top priority to safeguard the lives and properties of the populace.