More than 150,000 people in southwest China survived an early
morning flood thanks to timely government warnings delivered by
mobile phone text messages, loudspeakers and door-to-door
visits.
"The flood was so sudden I would have drowned if I had not
received the messages," said Zhang Xue'an, a resident of Qujiang in
Quxian in Sichuan Province.
He began to receive messages on his mobile phone on July 3, and
was told by local flood control authorities that a flood was only a
few days away.
He bought biscuits and bottled water, which proved very useful
when his home was flooded three days later and water and gas
supplies were cut off.
About half of the 150,000-strong residents in Qujiang have
mobile phones, which means text messages are a very rapid means of
spreading flood information.
Wang Chenggao, owner of a stationery shop, moved his belongings
to the top floor of his house after receiving messages, managing to
preserve the family assets including the stock of stationery.
The worst flood on record hit Qujiang at 3 AM on July 7,
submerging two thirds of the town's streets and flooding the first
floor of many houses.
To warn families with no mobile phones, authorities put flood
information on the local television channel and used loudspeakers
in the countryside. Sirens resounded in the county seat to alert
residents.
Zhang Kaifu and his family managed to avoid the landslide that
engulfed three rooms of his house on Thursday evening in Sanhui
Town. Zheng knew from listening to loudspeakers that there was a
high risk of a landslide and had time to evacuate items from the
house.
In remote areas where radios and telephones are not used,
grassroots officials went to inform residents on foot.
Gao Mingwen, party chief of Qujiang Town, detected a possible
landslide during an inspection late on Thursday night. He went door
to door to inform the families threatened by the possible landslide
and helped 31 people evacuate, preventing an accident that could
have cost many lives.
"After warnings were spread by texts messages and loudspeakers,
we were ordered to visit every family personally and ensure that
none was threatened by a flood or a landslide," said Sun Xiaoyan,
party chief of Sanhui Town.
Tianxing Town ordered every official to take care of a family
that might be affected. Li Jinsong, headmaster of the local primary
school, risked flood water reaching his waist to visit his
designated family. "I had to make sure they were safe, or I would
have been punished," Li said.
Quxian County suffered from floods in 2004 and 2005. The
experience taught local authorities that it was critical to inform
people in flood-prone areas in time.
"The earlier (people are informed) the better! They know how to
protect themselves," said Yang Xuechun, head of Quxian flood
control office.
About 115,000 people have been evacuated in Quxian this year
because of floods and 38,000 others rescued by boat.
(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2007)