🌀 Super typhoon strikes China, worst storm of the year – you won’t believe what happened next

• Super Typhoon Ragasa caused no fatalities when it reached mainland China last month.
• Authorities evacuated over 1 million people and opened 865 temporary shelters in Shenzhen.
• Previous typhoons in the same region have caused between 4 and 34 deaths, and an earthquake in Sichuan in 2008 killed tens of thousands of people.

Extensive preparations before the storm

Shenzhen spent several days preparing for Ragasa. The city opened 865 temporary shelters for residents. Throughout Guangdong province, authorities evacuated more than 1 million people. They deployed over 38,000 firefighters and rescue personnel.

Residents stockpiled essentials. Local governments inspected trees, underground passageways, construction sites and mountainous regions to identify safety hazards.

Comparison with previous typhoons

When Super Typhoon Mangkhut hit Guangdong province in 2018, at least four people died in southern China. Typhoon Hato killed nine people in Guangdong in 2017. Typhoon Fanapi caused 34 deaths in the coastal province in 2010.

Seventeen years ago, Sichuan was struck by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. It killed tens of thousands of people and destroyed entire communities. At Juyuan Middle School, at least 280 students and teachers died when shoddily built schools collapsed.

New disaster management systems

In recent years, China has worked to improve its disaster management system. The country uses more advanced technology, mobilizes resources faster and educates the public about disasters.

Challenges remain

Earlier this year, 31 people died in a nursing home in the Beijing district of Miyun. The area had been considered safe from flooding. Thousands of people in Miyun had been evacuated to higher ground in advance. The nursing home was not in a high-risk zone and was therefore not included in the evacuation plan.

The district's Communist Party chief said the incident showed their emergency plan had flaws.

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