Natural Disasters Nationwide Affected 17.276 Million People in the First Half of the Year

According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, in the first half of 2026, various natural disasters nationwide affected 17.276 million people to varying degrees, left 155 dead or missing, and caused direct economic losses of 42.14 billion yuan. By disaster type, floods and geological disasters had the greatest impact, mainly concentrated in southwest China, central China, and other regions; wind and hail disasters caused greater losses in some parts of northeast China and southwest China, while earthquakes also had a certain impact in Guangxi, Qinghai, Yunnan, and other places. At the same time, drought, lowtemperature rain, snow and freezing disasters, and snow disasters were overall relatively mild, and the situation regarding forest and grassland fires remained generally stable. The report also noted that strong rainfall events were relatively concentrated in the first half of this year, and the heavy rain process in May came earlier and had a stronger impact, leading to more prominent disaster situations in the relevant areas. At present, drought conditions in most regions have eased.