China Battles Worst Snowstorms in 50 Years

Stranded travelers, power shortages, rising food prices, weather, and a sense of general discouragement.  Not only has China experienced its worst snowstorm since the 1950s, the storm has happened just weeks before the spring festival.

This is the only time of the year that many migrant workers are able to go home to see their families.  With transportation down, and weather problems still plaguing the nation, many of the 178.6 million expected travelers will not be able to see their loved ones.  

The numbers are staggering:

• $3 billion dollars in damage
• 470,000 travelers stranded at a Guangzhou train station
• 200,000 Guangzhou travelers living in temporary shelters outside the shelter
• at least 55 deaths, including 35 in a bus crash yesterday 
• 5 million without water
• 500,000 army troops have been deployed today to help the victims

Premier Wen Jiabao has visited many of those who are suffering, but the government has a huge task ahead of it.  Especially with the upcoming Olympics, a huge national disaster is not their ideal way to be spending the winter months. 

Ultimately, in our visual society, a picture is worth 1,000 words, and this short news clip shows what words sufficiently cannot.