President Ma Ying-jeou said Tuesday that the government will make the best preparations possible against future typhoons as if they were as devastating as Morakot, which lashed Taiwan in early August. Morakot swept past Taiwan Aug. 7-9, causing flooding and landslides unseen for 50 years, which killed nearly 700 people and left thousands homeless. Ma made the remarks during a visit to the Central Emergency Operations Center after sea warning for Typhoon Parma was lifted earlier in the day. He said that the center will continue to operate and provide necessary assistance to local emergency centers before returning to situation normal. According to the center's estimate, one person died in flooding caused by Parma, while 33 areas were inundated, with agricultural losses totaling NT$38.38 million (US$1.19 million). 'The number of people evacuated was 7,863 this time, compared with around 6,400 evacuated from the affected areas during Typhoon Morakot,' he noted. During Typhoon Parma, the number of people evacuated from heavy rainfall areas of Taipei, Yilan and Hualien counties was 1,300. He said that this time, the number of people evacuated in non-flood areas was five times those in flood areas, showing that residents were much more alert to the potential for danger. Even before Parma hit Taiwan, relevant Cabinet officials visited different areas of the country to communicate with local governments on evacuation, while the military also deployed servicemen on standby in potential disaster areas. 'The disaster prevention measures this time will be used for reference in preparations against future typhoons,' the president said. The government was harshly criticized for its slow response to Typhoon Morakot, which led to the resignation of then-Premier Liu Chao-shiuan. 