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Natural disaster in HK?

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  1. #1

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    Natural disaster in HK?

    Besides typoons (hurricans) and madslides, are there any other natural disasters known to HK? According to the internet, both Taiwan and the Philippines shield off any potential devastating Tsunamis for HK. 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.

    Last edited by Renotommy; 28-02-2010 at 04:00 AM.

  2. #2

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    Back in the old days before we got water (and vegetables) from mainland China you might be able to list drought as there was water shortages and rationing.


  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by existenz:
    Back in the old days before we got water (and vegetables) from mainland China you might be able to list drought as there was water shortages and rationing.
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    Even that has been rectified.

    I remember when I was a kid, almost every year we had those devastating squatter house fires resulting hundreds (if not thousands) ppl became homeless along with some fatalities. Now that most squatter houses are demolished, I guess that issue has also been solved.

  4. #4

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    how about stock market crashes?


  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Drunken Master:
    how about stock market crashes?
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    Those are man-made (sometimes self inflicted) castastrophes!

  6. #6

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    SARS, bird flu?


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by bookblogger:
    SARS, bird flu?


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    I guess pandemics can be counted as natural disaster. Fortuantely, the death toll in HK from the Bird Flu was kept pretty low, unlike the tsunami in the Indian Ocean several years ago and the recent Haiti quake. I wonder what the final death toll count will be in Chile latest quake. Sadly, now part of the Haiti international relief funds and relief efforts will be diverted to Chile making the situation in Haiti more desperated.

    SF highrises are designed to withstand 7.5 or more; does anyone know what are the skyscrapers in HK are designed for in light of HK is not known to be earthquake prone?

  8. #8

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    The obvious threat to HK are typhoons. A T10 would be devastating even with HK being well prepared. Even the relatively tame T9 a couple of years back destroyed many homes and businesses on Lantau and killed someone.

    The risk of drought has not be solved, it's now a political risk rather than a physical risk.

    But anyway, why the heck start a thread about such a depressing subject?


  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Renotommy:

    SF highrises are designed to withstand 7.5 or more; does anyone know what are the skyscrapers in HK are designed for in light of HK is not known to be earthquake prone?
    Ability of Building, Infrastructure and Utilities to withstand Earthquakes

    from hko website!
    Renotommy and serendipity99 like this.

  10. #10

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    Considering the latest Chilean Earthquake was an 8.8, or to give a bit of perspective, 500 times more powerful than the Earth quake that hit Haiti a month ago, I doubt even HK construction/infrastructure could cope with that, especially if the epicentre was land based, and shallow.

    I wouldn't like to be in Central if an 8.8 ever does strike, most of the roads would fail, as they are hollow underneath. Looking at what the quake did to solid roads in Chile, you can pretty much not count on land based emergency vehicles to rescue you here, if the roads collapse, you're pretty much fekked.

    The potential for human loss here, would make the boxing day Tsunami death toll, pale into insignificance, due to the concentration of population in built up area's.


    Fingers crossed, that HK never experiences a quake, like those on the other side of the world.


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