Macao sustained a loss of 11.5 billion patacas (about 1.42 billion U.S. dollars) from Typhoon Hato, the special administrative region (SAR)'s statistic department said on Wednesday.
Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) recently conducted a survey, showing that Hato, the strongest typhoon since 1964, caused a direct loss of 8.31 billion patacas (about 1.03 billion dollars) and an indirect loss of 3.16 billion patacas (about 393 million dollars).
The information was issued in a press conference held on Wednesday by Macao's newly established commission to review and optimize the existing mechanism system for response to major disasters in the SAR.
The Commission for Reviewing and Monitoring the Improvements of the Response Mechanism to Major Disasters, chaired by Macao SAR Chief Executive Chui Sai On, told the press that a series of comprehensive measures have been set up against potential disasters in the future.
Those measures include building higher sea walls, increasing local power generator capacity and water supply capacity, optimizing weather alert information system and setting up a new government bureau to coordinate disaster prevention and relief work.
Chui Sai On said the SAR government has sent a work team to Beijing and visited the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The National Commission for Disaster Reduction will send a team of experts to Macao and help work out a plan against disasters in the future.
Typhoon Hato struck Macao on Aug. 23, killing 10 people and injuring over 240 others.
