Natural Disasters Kill more than 3,000 in China in ‘06

2006 was the most devastating period in almost 10 years in China.

More than 3,000 people were killed by natural disasters and $35 billion in costs were surmounted.

Typhoons along the coast were the big culprits.

Two typhoons, Bilis and Saomai, were responsible for 1,326 deaths.

Inadequate disaster relief capabilities added to the deaths.

The death toll was the highest in 8 years.

Improving the ability to restore communications following a disaster and getting disaster information out in a timely and accurate manner are keys to keeping death tolls down says the civil affais vice minister.

Moving away from disaster prone areas is a third…when practical.

I used to think that people were fools for living in areas where disasters could happen…until about two years ago, an area in Japan that had NEVER flooded before was the vicitim of heavy rainfall, a dam that couldn't hold the water, and a false river bank that gave way.

Disasters are disasters because no one expects them to happen.