A study into the spatiotemporal distribution of typhoon storm surge disasters in China

Abstract

In this study, we collected the data of 172 typhoon storm surge disasters that occurred in China during 1983–2018 to show the temporal and spatial distribution of their frequency and damage. Our results indicated that: (1) there was an increase in the frequency of typhoons storm surge disasters during 1983–2018, and 98% of these disasters occurred from June to October; (2) the damage decreased over time, especially after 1997; (3) the frequency and damage caused by typhoon storm surge disasters were higher in the southern and eastern regions than in the northern regions; (4) Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang experienced the highest disaster occurreneces and damages, and the number of disaster occurrences and damages in these three regions accounted for approximately 57% and 80% of the total disaster occurrences and damages, respectively. Furthermore, we mainly analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of typhoon storm surge disasters from three aspects: contributors and damage records of extreme typhoon storm surge disasters, mitigation measures, and tropical cyclone tracks. These findings and analyses can help disaster managers improve their understanding of typhoon storm surge disasters and strengthen protection in disaster hotspots and sensitive months.