CHINA’S natural disasters including floods, typhoons and geological disasters in July have affected more than 16 million people, with 147 people dead or missing, and the direct economic losses amounted to 41.18 billion yuan (US$5.74 billion), the worst this year, according to China’s Ministry of Emergency Management on Friday. In July, flooding, typhoons, geological disaster and drought were the main natural disasters in China, meanwhile other kinds of natural disasters including hail, earthquakes, sand-dust storm and forest fire also occurred to different degrees, the ministry said. A total of 703,000 people were evacuated and relocated when the natural disasters occurred, with 4,300 houses collapsing in July. Natural disasters hit 3.13 million hectares of crops, according to the ministry. In terms of economic damage, July was the worst month for disaster losses this year, with East China’s Fujian, Southwest China’s Chong-qing, North China’s Beijing, Hebei Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region among the worst-hit provinces and municipalities. Affected by super typhoon Doksuri, extreme rainfall occurred in northern China and other regions, and multiple flood storage areas in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei were put into use. The water level of other major rivers in China was lower than that of the same period of the previous years, with 262 rivers experiencing floods above the warning level, according to authorities. More than 7.03 million people were affected by floods and geological disasters, with 142 people dead or missing, leading more than 2,300 houses collapsing and direct economic loss reaching 15.78 billion yuan. In July, a total of three typhoons formed in the northwest Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, with two making landfall in China. Typhoon Talim made landfall twice July 17 and 18 in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, and Beihai, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is the first typhoon to make landfall in the country this year, and the disaster affected over 1.12 million people in Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan and caused direct economic losses of 2.61 billion yuan. Typhoon Doksuri, the fifth typhoon of the year, affected 2.91 million people in Fujian, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Guangdong and other places to different degrees, with direct economic losses reaching 14.74 billion yuan. (Global Times) | 