Milton vs Yagi: why do superstorms kill more people in US than China?

Among several differences, observers note that China’s evacuation orders are mandatory, moving thousands out of harm’s way

Reading Time:4 minutes

A largely deserted street in downtown Tampa, Florida during the approach of Hurricane Milton on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Published: 9:00am, 12 Oct 2024

China and the US have each been hit by two major tropical cyclones this year. But while they were similar in terms of strength – and one struck the Chinese mainland harder than the other three – there were hundreds of American deaths, against six in China.

Tropical cyclones – called typhoons or hurricanes depending on the region – are a familiar threat in certain parts of the world. But the damage they cause varies greatly from country to country.

While some of the differences can be attributed to nature, human factors also come into play when determining the resilience of communities in the face of devastating weather events, according to experts.

Florida was hit by two powerful tropical cyclones in the space of 12 days. Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm, made landfall on Wednesday night near Siesta Key in Sarasota County, Florida. At least 16 people have died, the latest data shows.

On September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, near the city of Perry, leaving more than 200 people dead. More than half of the fatalities occurred in North Carolina.

On the other side of the world, Super Typhoon Yagi swept across the Philippines, Hong Kong, three southern Chinese provinces and other Southeast Asian countries after forming in late August.