On May 12, 2008, a devastating earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale hit Wenchuan County in Sichuan Province. The majority of the buildings and the infrastructure collapsed or were otherwise damaged. In addition, the quake also triggered an almost unprecedented series of secondary disasters like landslides, debris flows, and damned lakes. The State Administration promptly responded to the earthquake and immediately set up the Command Headquarters for Response to the Wenchuan Earthquake.