China braces for typhoon season as record-breaking floods leave 1,000 dead or missing

Source: MSBC

More than 1,000 people have died or disappeared in severe flooding in China so far this year, and the heaviest rains are still to come, a senior official warned Wednesday.

This year's floods, which have caused tens of billions of dollars in damage already, have exacted the highest death toll since 1998, which saw the highest water levels in 50 years.

With the typhoon season rolling in, Liu Ning, general secretary of the government's flood prevention agency, told a news conference authorities must ramp up preparations.

"Since 60 to 80 percent of the annual rain level occurs in June, July and August, we should be prepared to prevent and combat potential disasters," Liu said.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38338713/ns/world_news-asiapacific/

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With 701 people killed and 347 missing the overall damage is ewtimated at $21 billion. Landslides have toppled houses and smothered communities especially in the in the Yangtze River basin.

floods wiped out all those really smart and cheap manufacturing/IT workers and/or their supervisors? Oops, only poor farming families affected?

Note to self on next news story: Newly designed typhoon-proof pole-barn seedling facilities shipped to China from India - Small businesses arise like magic near flood-ravaged regions to create still more poison-laced products for local communities and export--disaster free. Forced relocation eases staffing of in-door "pollinators" (who stand) and their potting bench-sitting supervisors (who sit). Bean-counters and marketing gurus live elsewhere, of course...

Now that's disaster planning! :sarcasm:


Though sad indeed,1000 dead/missing at the hand of Mother Nature won't make a dent in things there...