China Says Floods, Typhoons Kill 800 So Far This Year

[senorpepr]

BEIJING (Reuters) - Floods and typhoons in China this year have killed at least 800 people and caused billions of dollars in economic losses, state media and government officials said Wednesday.

"Landslides triggered by floods and also typhoons are the major disasters in July and August and caused the death toll," one official at the National General Headquarters for Flood Prevention and Drought Control told Reuters. Citing the department's figures, state television said 98 million people had been displaced by the disasters and economic losses due to this year's floods totaled $6.33 billion.

The flood season had now passed, state television said, adding that damage was lighter than that suffered in the 1990s. Major waterways such as the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers did not flood during the wet season, it said.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... _floods_dc

[gatorbabe79]

And they are hosting the 2008 Olympics during their typhoon season??? I guess the beach volleyball could get interesting.....I can send over the 34 bags of sand I bought today that I hopefully won't be needing here in JAX!