China Suffers $5.38 Billion in August Disaster Losses, Typhoon Dolphin Dominates Impact

In August, China recorded direct economic losses of 36.03 billion yuan (approximately $5.38 billion) from natural disasters, with Typhoon Dolphin responsible for the bulk of the damage. The emergency management ministry reported 595 fatalities or missing persons, 12.62 million people affected, and 857,400 hectares (2.2 million acres) of crops damaged. Typhoon Dolphin alone caused 28.26 billion yuan in losses—about 78 % of the month’s total—impacting 8.8 million residents and 365,900 hectares of crops across multiple regions. August also witnessed a catastrophic mudslide and flooding at the Tibet–Nepa border, claiming over 1,400 lives in both countries. The ministry is still verifying the toll from a glacier collapse, with the latest official count at 43 deaths and 519 missing. Nationwide, above‑warning‑level floods were more frequent than usual, while geological hazards were especially common in western provinces.