Disasters Escalate in China

(Clearwisdom.net)

[Editors' note: Throughout history, the theme that a nation's fate is closely tied to the virtue of its leaders and people has been prevalent in both Chinese and Western culture and lore. Many wise, virtuous rulers have led their nations to peace and prosperity, while conversely, moral decay in high places has led to the downfall of great empires. These articles are meant to serve as a reminder and wake-up call for those who are leading or participating in large-scale acts of violence and injustice. As Teacher Li Hongzhi said in Essentials for Further Advancement, "When people do not have virtue, natural calamities and man-made disasters will abound."] [Editors' note: Throughout history, the theme that a nation's fate is closely tied to the virtue of its leaders and people has been prevalent in both Chinese and Western culture and lore. Many wise, virtuous rulers have led their nations to peace and prosperity, while conversely, moral decay in high places has led to the downfall of great empires. These articles are meant to serve as a reminder and wake-up call for those who are leading or participating in large-scale acts of violence and injustice. As Teacher Li Hongzhi said in Essentials for Further Advancement, "When people do not have virtue, natural calamities and man-made disasters will abound."]

According to the July 4 edition of Beijing Morning News, in 2002 so far, some regions and cities in Inner Mongolia have been continuously hit by thunderstorms and sand & dust storms. From mid April to early June, most areas in Inner Mongolia had continuous high temperatures and little rain. Planted crop seeds didn't germinate, and sprouts died due to drought. Some grassland turned yellow again soon after turning green [in spring], and the area affected by the drought is growing. Since the flood season, some areas in Inner Mongolia have also been hit by serious hail and floods. According to statistics, as of June 30, disasters caused by hail and floods affected 1,340,000 people in the whole area of Inner Mongolia, 3,840,000 mu [about 640,000 acre] of farmland was damaged; and 1,620 houses collapsed. The disasters have caused direct losses of 997 million Yuan [more than US$120 million].

According to Jianghuai Morning News, in July in Anhui Province, four people were killed by lightening strikes and seven were injured by flying rocks that were kicked up by the lightening. Around 5 p.m. on July 17, Liang and Yang, two villagers in Wuhe County, died from being struck by lightening . Around 6 p.m., Wu and Zhang of the same county were also killed by lightening on their way home. On July 16 around 5:30 p.m., the Fei Laishi sightseeing area in Yellow Mountain Park was hit by lightening and seven people were injured.

According to the Xinhua News Net on July 26, as of July 26, there were 50 counties and cities in Sichuan Province that had drought conditions. The situations of 15 of these places were very serious, and the drought was expected to last until August in some areas. Fifteen counties and cities were seriously affected by the current summer drought.

Four districts in Wuhan City hit by strong hurricanes, thunderstorms, and hailstorms between July 16 and 18.

According to Chutian Metropolitan News, four districts in Wuhan City, Hubei Province including Dongxihu, Jiangxia, Caidian and Hannan were hit by strong hurricanes, thunderstorms, and hail between July 16 and 18. The disasters affected 4,970 people, almost 50,000 mu of crops were destroyed, 40,000 large trees and 238 electric poles were broken by the hurricanes. Direct financial losses exceeded 15 million Yuan [about US$1.8 million].

According to a news summary, most areas in Xinjiang Autonomous Region experienced heavy rain recently, and three counties experienced floods because of the rain. In Baicheng County, 30,000 mu crops and 1,100 mu of fish-raising lakes were destroyed. One person died, and the direct financial losses exceeded 100 million Yuan [about US$12 million]. In Jimunai County, almost 3,000 houses collapsed, and the direct financial loss was more than 80 million Yuan [about US$9.6 million]. The financial loss in Kuche County was about 50 million Yuan [about US$6 million]. Thunderstorms raised water levels in five branches of the Weigan River rapidly, and 40,000 people were evacuated from the area.

This summer, Aletai City of Xinjiang Autonomous Region was hit by serious drought. 70,000 mu of crops were affected, 5,000 mu of crops were completely destroyed, and the area plagued with such disasters is growing.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.cc/mh/articles/2002/7/30/34044.html

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