China disaster losses hit $30b as deaths climb above last year

China's Ministry of Emergency Management said on October 22, 2026, that 1,162 people died or were missing from natural disasters in the first nine months of 2026, up from 742 a year earlier. Direct losses reached 199.36 billion yuan, down 8 percent from 217.65 billion yuan the year before. August's Nepal-Tibet border flash floods left 562 dead or missing. "Several sudden extreme disasters in southern regions led to a significant increase in deaths and missing persons compared to the five-year-average," the ministry said. Geological hazards caused 60 percent of fatalities; typhoons caused the largest financial damage. Southwestern and southern China saw most of the affected people and deaths, while eastern coastal provinces took the heaviest property losses from typhoon landfalls. More than 5 million people relocated or sought shelter. Of 26 typhoons formed through September in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea, seven made landfall in China, both figures above historical averages.