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

China reported 199.36 billion yuan in direct losses from natural disasters during the first nine months of 2026, down 8% from the same period last year. Typhoons, flooding and landslides drove the damage; typhoons caused the greatest financial losses, while geological hazards accounted for the largest share of disaster-related deaths. The country recorded 1,162 people dead or missing, compared with 742 a year earlier, including 562 casualties from August’s Nepal-Tibet border flash floods. More than 5 million people were displaced or sought emergency shelter, and seven of 26 typhoons formed in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea made landfall in China—both figures above historical averages.