据初步统计，世界范围的暴风雨、水灾、旱灾和火灾已在今年对全世界造成至少８９０亿美元的经济损失。而“米奇”飓风、长江水灾和孟加拉国洪水是本世纪最大灾害。华盛顿世界观察研究所的一项报告指出，１９９８年全世界天灾损失的初步估计总额已比１９９６年创下的６００亿美 According to preliminary statistics, worldwide storms, floods, droughts and fires have caused at least $ 89 billion in economic losses to the world this year. Hurricane Mitch, the floods in the Yangtze River and floods in Bangladesh are the biggest disasters of this century. A report by the Washington Worldwatch Institute states that the initial estimated total natural disasters in 1998 in the world had surpassed the 60 billion U.S. dollars hit in 1996