A targeted approach, coupled with professional expertise, will boost disaster relief efforts in Yuyao, a city in East China's Zhejiang province, which was inundated by Typhoon Fitow, a storm of once-a-century intensity, this week.

When more than 70 percent of the city suffers a deluge, it is possible that some stranded residents may go without food or aid for a couple of days before relief efforts kick in. Caught unawares, the governments need to overcome any obstacles that delay aid or prevent evacuation efforts.

Some of the city's 1 million residents may be impatient, but relief efforts on such a scale and the logistic necessities require time to get organized properly. It takes time just to locate those in most need.