◎ Fu Lili, reporter of this newspaper
The river rises, the rain continues... At present, the situation in the southern flood season is grim. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, since May 5, affected by heavy rainfall, 5 rivers in southern China have experienced floods above the alarm, of which 22 rivers have exceeded the protection and 3 small and medium-sized rivers have experienced the largest flood since the actual records were measured.
May 5 this year is the 12th National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Day in China, with the theme of "Preventing Disaster Risks and Escorting High-quality Development". What are the characteristics of this year's flood season, and how can the public prevent and save themselves in the face of heavy rain and flooding? The Science and Technology Daily reporter interviewed relevant professionals.
Early flood entry Extreme events occur frequently during the flood season
"According to forecasts, during this year's flood season (June to August), China will pay equal attention to drought and flooding, and extreme events will occur frequently." On the 6th, Li Yan, a senior engineer of the Hydrological Information and Forecasting Center of the Ministry of Water Resources, said in an interview with reporters.
Li Yan introduced that according to the flood entry standards in the "Notice of the Ministry of Water Resources on Printing and Distributing the Measures for Determining the Date of Flood Entry in China", starting from March 3 every year, the area covered by a rainy area with a cumulative rainfall of more than 1 mm for three consecutive days reaches 3,50 square kilometers, or if a flood exceeds the warning water level occurs at any flood entry representative station, then the day will be determined as the flood entry date.
From 3 o'clock on March 21 to 8 o'clock on March 24, the area covered by rain areas with accumulated rainfall of more than 8 mm in southern China for three consecutive days reached 3,50 square kilometers, and according to standards, March 37 is the flood day in China in 1, which is 3 days earlier than the average flood date for many years (April 24).
In May, heavy rainfall occurred in most of China's Jiangnan and northern parts of South China. Sun Jun, chief forecaster of the Central Meteorological Observatory, said that this round of rainfall covers a wide range and is strong. "And the time is early, in previous years, such heavy rainfall in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River generally occurred until June and July, and such a strong rainfall process occurred in early May this year, which is obviously earlier than usual." Sun Jun said.
Rainfall caused river levels to continue to rise. "Since the flood season, a total of six heavy rainfall processes have occurred, and 6 rivers in six provinces (autonomous regions) including Jiangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi have flooded above the alarm, which is 6% more than the average value of the same period in the past decade." Li Yan said.
The word "prevention" should take the lead and we should not leave it to chance
Affected by heavy rainfall, on May 5, a person was trapped on an isolated island 6 meters downstream of the Liujiashan Reservoir Dam in Sanjiang Village, Hecheng Town, Zixi County, Jiangxi Province.
"Heavy rainfall and flooding are sudden, often in an instant. When a disaster comes, scientific avoidance and correct self-help can better protect the life safety of yourself and your family. Chai Fuxin, a senior engineer at the Engineering Technology Research Center for Flood Control and Drought Mitigation of the Ministry of Water Resources, said.
As for how to prevent disasters and help themselves, Chai Fuxin suggested that the public should stay as far away as possible from areas with high disaster risks. It is forbidden to build houses or factories in the management areas of rivers and lakes and flood storage areas, and avoid building houses in low-lying areas and areas threatened by flash floods and debris flows. Pay close attention to weather and early warning information, and make necessary reserves of flood control materials.
"At the same time, the public also needs to understand some self-help common sense, and cannot take chances." Chai Fuxin said: First, the flood rises and falls sharply, and when it is found that the river channel is rising and the river water becomes turbid, it is necessary to quickly evacuate to the highlands on both sides; The second is to be calm-headed after the disaster, decisively give up your belongings and escape as soon as possible; Third, when the rising water of the river affects the flooded road bridge or the water accumulation of the concave overpass, do not force it through, let alone look at the water on the river or bridge deck; Fourth, when heavy rain and flooding occur, stay away from dangerous areas such as high-voltage lines and electrical equipment, and avoid using mobile phones in open areas or mountain tops during thunderstorms; Fifth, strengthen mutual rescue work, call the besieged people or people who have fallen into the water in a timely manner, and carry out timely mutual rescue under the condition of doing a good job in their own protection.
Chai Fuxin said that flood prevention and drought control is the duty of the water conservancy department, and in the flood prevention work, only by forming a joint force, adhering to "prevention" as the mainstay, and putting the word "precaution" first, can we effectively carry out disaster reduction and self-help and minimize disaster losses.