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Natural disaster in HK?

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  1. #11

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    what about wild fire ? like the one that happened in Pak Sin Leng mountain some years ago? of course sometimes they are caused by some careless people, but there are also occasions the land or trees are strike by lightning (esp round the Autumn time when the weather is very dry) ?


  2. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Renotommy:
    You probably cannot find a safer place to live in than HK.......hmmm maybe other than the UK which I believe truly does not have any natural disasters other than occasional floodings? Correct me if I am wrong.
    You are wrong.

    With Hong Kong having annual typhoons, it is only a matter of time until a "big one" hits.

    I would think that there are many, as safe or safer, major cities in the world (natural disaster-wise). Off the top of my head: Paris, Rome, Berlin, New York, Sydney, Auckland and probably even Singapore and Beijing.

  3. #13

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    I recall someone died in a mudslide on one of the islands. Not sure if that's the same person already mentioned. When it rains heavily (black rainstorm) we get flooding and mudslides but rarely with loss of life. I think more people die from extreme weather (heat-stroke and flu). Typhoons are dangerous but most people are wise enough to stay indoors until one passes since the major thread is falling debris from high rises.


  4. #14

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    Plenty of people died in mudslides in 1972, on Conduit Road and in Sau Mau Ping.


  5. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by MovingIn07:
    The obvious threat to HK are typhoons. A T10 would be devastating even with HK being well prepared.
    We had a T10 a few years ago, it was no big deal. We had arranged to meet someone in Donguan and decided to go anyway. By the time we got on the road from Shenzen to Dongguan it had escalated to T10. We were barreling down the expressway in a van in a T10, thinking how crazy and brave we were, only to overtake a man on a bicycle delivering chickens which kinda put it into perspective.
    Last edited by dipper; 01-03-2010 at 10:21 AM.

  6. #16

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    I will take fifty(50) T10 typhoons over one 7.5 earthquake anyday. At least you can see a typhoon coming gradually and have time to prepare for it but not with an earthquake. I hope and pray that one day in the future, scientists are able to successfully predict earthquakes, and that will prevent the huge loss of lives.

    Didn't I hear that about 15-20 years ago, China successfully predicted an oncoming earthquake, evacuated the entire city and when the quake actually came, there was no casualty or what it just a rumor?


  7. #17

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    There was an earthquake in the UK a couple of years ago, 5.1 if I remember. Knocked some of my mum's ornaments off the shelf. So in the five years I have been here the UK is more of an earthquake zone than HK

    The other risk to HK I guess would be a tsunami triggered by an earthquake somewhere on the ring of fire.


  8. #18

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    A colleague (Brit - just to give you an idea of the sense of humour) told a concerned newly arrived Floridian that in Hong Kong we evict for typhoons, just as they do in Florida. The evacuation routes were in the front few pages of the Yellow Pages. Of course these were only for people rich enough to own cars; the government had decided that the poor had to fend for themselves. The government itself would evacuate to a war-time bunker on the Peak.

    The concerned Floridian's risk level rose from pink to magenta as he didn't have a car and the colleague told him he was screwed ("you're buggered mate") and should ensure his life insurance was paid up.

    I did put the poor chap out of his misery, although that didn't stop him from desperately flicking through the Yellow Pages, just in case.


  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Claire ex-ax:
    A colleague (Brit - just to give you an idea of the sense of humour) told a concerned newly arrived Floridian that in Hong Kong we evict for typhoons, just as they do in Florida. The evacuation routes were in the front few pages of the Yellow Pages. Of course these were only for people rich enough to own cars; the government had decided that the poor had to fend for themselves. The government itself would evacuate to a war-time bunker on the Peak.

    The concerned Floridian's risk level rose from pink to magenta as he didn't have a car and the colleague told him he was screwed ("you're buggered mate") and should ensure his life insurance was paid up.

    I did put the poor chap out of his misery, although that didn't stop him from desperately flicking through the Yellow Pages, just in case.
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    Claire:

    I can't blame the guy from Florida getting paranoid because of the numbers of devastating hurricans they have down in south. Except for one or two small ones, it seems when there is a hurricane heading for the Gulf, evacuation was necessary. Then on TV, you'll see these lines and lines cars packed with luggage leaving for high ground. At least they have time to find an escape route but when an earthquake hits, there will be NO escape or preparation for it. One minute you were sleeping on your bed and the next you're buried under tons of rubble.....it is very scary. I was brought up with severe typhoons in HK and I also was in the 1989 SF earthquake. Typhoons in comparsion were nothing to a 7.5 earthquake. Unfortunately Haiti has both the annual hurricans and devastating earthquakes - a real double whammie for them!

    Once at work, ppl asked me what Chinese New Year it was; I told them it was the year of the Racoon and they believed me. As you know Racoons can only be found in America. A little humor like what your FL friend was told.

  10. #20

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    Reno, this happened as York (T10) was bearing down on Hong Kong. The Floridian thought Hong Kong people were crazy for not evacuating. But, as we pointed out, evacuate how and where? I always wondered how he managed his move to Tokyo...