Environment

Snow Storms in China Leave 40 Dead and Thousands Homeless

by Amy Judd | November 14, 2009 at 09:29 am

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Snow storms in China have left 40 people dead and thousands more homeless as heavy snow fell on the north-central area. About 10,000 buildings suffered damage and it is reported that 500,000 acres of winter crops were also destroyed.

About 158,000 were evacuated from their homes, and bad road conditions caused accidents and deaths as China is ill-equiped to deal with such harsh winter conditions. The provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong and Henan are the hardest hit. In Shijiazhuang, about two feet of snow has fallen in three days and this is the heaviest fall since 1955.

Even the capital of Beijing has been hit by snow, forcing flight cancellations and delays, and bad conditions on the roads. The capital has few snow ploughs or gritting machines and most drivers do not bother with snow tires.

Economic losses from the disruption to business caused by the storms have been estimated by Chinese officials at around 4.5 billion yuan (US$659 million).

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Hugh Askew

at 13:26 on November 14th, 2009

"...two feet of snow has fallen in three days and this is the heaviest fall since 1955."

Lot of snow.

Where is that Globull Warming when a person needs it?

Barbara McPherson

at 10:58 on November 15th, 2009

Officials in China have admitted that they influenced the snowfall with cloud seedings. It's the unexpected consequences of trying to fool Mother Nature.

Tomitheos

at 11:02 on November 15th, 2009

I agree with you Barbara, weather science stipulates that the the butterfly effect theory of one small shift on one weather front, even if it is minute, can trigger another that may manifest this way.

CBuckwalter

at 15:50 on November 15th, 2009

I currently live in the Hebei Province and at first I was pretty amazed at how unprepared the residents were for the snow and for temperatures below 0 C but after speaking with them, they said that they can't remember a time when temperatures were this cold this early in winter. Here in Hengshui, the residents claim that they do get some snow a few times a season but it isn't until January and February.