Twelve Questions about Floods in Zhuozhou | News | Zhuozhou

On July 31st, a large-scale flood occurred in the Haihe River Basin, officially numbered as "Yongding River 2023 No.1 Flood" and "Daqing River 2023 No.1 Flood".

In Zhuozhou City, Hebei Province, there are six rivers passing through the jurisdiction, and the floodwaters converge for a while. Within a few days, Zhuozhou City became a heavily affected area by floods. As of 10:00 on August 1st, the number of people affected by the disaster in Zhuozhou was 133913, with 146 affected villages and an area of 225.38 square kilometers.

This is the first time since 1963 that Zhuozhou has experienced a serious flood. People had no concept or experience in dealing with floods before. As the disaster situation evolves and rescue efforts enter, doubts arise——

"The civilian rescue team is unable to enter due to the lack of an invitation letter? Will there be no rescue when encountering disasters?" "Is Zhuozhou's flood discharge for the protection of Beijing and Xiong'an?" "Was there no notice of flood discharge in advance? Is there not enough material at the resettlement site?"

In this regard, we focus on 12 widely concerned issues and verify the voices of all parties.

Flood discharge to protect Beijing and Xiong'an?

Liberation Daily · Shangguan News: What is a flood storage and detention area? Is flood discharge to protect Beijing and Xiong'an?

Liu Xingpo: The protective effect of flood storage and detention areas is mainly aimed at downstream areas. Most areas of Beijing are located in the upper reaches of the water system in Hebei Province, while the lower reaches of the water system in Hebei Province are mainly in areas such as Tianjin. The east-west average elevation difference of the North China Plain is not small, and the water flow generally does not flow backward, but flows to the lower part along the river channel. Setting up flood storage and detention areas is a planned way to provide space for floods. If there is no orderly diversion of flood storage and detention areas, it is easy to cause excessive flow and high water levels in downstream areas, leading to more serious disasters.

The delineation of flood storage and detention areas has strict standards and needs to be fully demonstrated. According to the Flood Control Law of our country, flood storage and detention areas should be designated in flood control planning or flood prevention plans. When floods occur, strict conditions are required for the use of flood storage and detention areas, and they should be implemented in accordance with the established basin or regional flood prevention and control plan.

Zheng Yonglai: "Protection" is planned and controllable protection. The claim that upstream flood discharge caused the flood situation in Zhuozhou has no basis. One of the important reasons why Zhuozhou has become a severely affected area this time is that there are dense rivers. In addition to the turning of the Juma River here, there are also five rivers that converge here, resulting in heavy rainfall and ineffective flood discharge. The flood storage and detention area plays an important protective role. If there is no flood storage and detention area to store floods, the water level of some reservoirs may exceed the bearing capacity of the dam. A sudden breach of the embankment will submerge the entire city. The existence of flood storage and detention areas is an inevitable choice to minimize losses in overall planning.

Liberation Daily · Shangkan News: Is there an "excess flood discharge"?

Zheng Yonglai: From a scientific perspective, there is no such thing as "excessive flood discharge". However, it cannot be ruled out that in order to prevent potential flood risks, some reservoirs have been drained more water in advance. Later, due to changes in water conditions, the discharge volume will be higher than the set value. There are many uncontrollable factors in flood discharge, but they are generally within a reasonable and controllable range.

The duration of flood discharge mainly depends on the later development of the flood situation. After the water level and flow of the flood discharge channel return to normal, the flood storage and detention area can gradually exit, which requires a process.

According to the prediction of the Water Resources Department of Hebei Province, there will still be 300 to 400 million cubic meters of water passing through Zhuozhou in the later stage. The total time for water withdrawal is approximately one month.

Residents have not received flood discharge notifications?

Liberation Daily · Shangkan News: Have local residents received flood discharge notices in advance?

Lu Zhen: There is a notice in the village, but it comes very slowly and urgently. After notifying the transfer during the day on August 1st, I packed my things and arrived at the placement point within 20 minutes.

Zhang Xiaoxiao: I got the message from the WeChat group. At around 7 pm on July 31st, my mother forwarded me a message: "Hong Feng is expected to arrive in Zhuozhou tonight. Parents and children are requested to cooperate and take protective measures.". At this point, the water at the intersection outside the community had already reached knee high.

Zou Bin: I haven't received any notification that there will be a flood discharge. Only in the afternoon of July 29, a notice was sent in the WeChat group of the park, reminding all rental units that there will be extremely heavy rainstorm from July 29 to August 1, and the city will start the orange warning for flood control. It's equivalent to a heavy rainstorm. Be prepared. If we could have received advance flood discharge notice, we should still be able to grab some books.

Liberation Daily News: Why did some local residents not evacuate in a timely manner?

Wang Fang: Currently, my sister and I have arrived in Baoding City, and my parents are still at home in Zhuozhou. They were unwilling to leave and tried to persuade them, but it was of no use. We could only keep in touch with them remotely, and the signal was intermittent. The people in the village who are unwilling to transfer are mostly elderly. Their lifelong efforts have been focused on this family, and they suddenly notified that no one can bear the transfer. Village officials cannot persuade. Some villagers stayed up until there was no water or electricity before moving out. Villagers with conditions will seek refuge with relatives and friends, while others will be resettled by the village committee.

Is the invitation letter blocking the rescue team?

Liberation Daily News: A rescue team stated that without an invitation letter from the local area of Zhuozhou, the rescue team was stuck at the exit of the highway. Do civilian rescue teams need an invitation letter to participate in disaster relief?

Wang Haibo: To a certain extent, the significance of the invitation letter is the recognition of the qualifications and capabilities of civilian rescue teams by relevant departments, and it can also discourage rescue teams that are "loose", show off, and have incomplete qualifications. Currently, there are nearly 4000 registered civilian rescue teams in China, and it is unrealistic for these teams to flock to Zhuozhou, Hebei.

There may be four reasons why a small number of rescue teams are stuck at the exit of the highway: first, the local rescue forces are approaching saturation and no longer need rescue teams to enter; second, the "life passage" to the disaster area has just been opened and is controlling the rescue flow into the disaster area; third, the flood is blocking the way, which is blocked; fourth, poor communication among personnel has led to misunderstandings.

Li Wen: The function of an invitation letter is a bit like "reporting", so that the department responsible for disaster relief can unify the command and deployment, from communicating with the local police station and fire station, to responding to international rescue calls and other occasions. If there is no invitation letter, team members may suffer casualties during the disaster relief process, which may lead to unnecessary disputes in determining responsibility. Rescue teams also need to use invitation letters in their annual qualification review.

My rescue team is still applying to relevant departments for an invitation letter. On the way from our base to Zhuozhou, Hebei, we did not encounter any situations where we were stuck due to lack of invitation letters.

Dong Ping: The Green Boat entered the disaster area for rescue through an invitation letter, and the situation of other teams is not clear. In general, when a disaster reaches a certain level, relevant national emergency departments and local emergency bureaus will respond. The relevant departments will have separate allocation for long-term rescue teams, and daily rescue information also needs to be reported.

"Invitation letter" is a review mechanism: there is only one national rescue team at the national level, and civilian rescue teams belong to social service institutions registered with the civil affairs department. Unregistered rescue teams are strictly defined as "illegal organizations".

Liberation Daily · Shangkan News: How can rescue teams without invitation letters coordinate with local emergency departments?

Wang Haibo: The Ministry of Emergency Management of China has launched the "Social Emergency Force Rescue Coordination System". Civil rescue teams and other social emergency forces can apply to participate in rescue operations in the system based on the "disaster situation announcement" published in the system. Next, the coordination center selects social emergency forces that meet the requirements based on their response distance, professional direction, and equipment situation, and provides a "pass code" for free high-speed passage within a certain range, and uses the pass code to enter the disaster area. Now, there are about 2000 teams stationed in the system, and multiple rescue teams rush to Zhuozhou, Hebei through this coordination system.

Xiao Bei: Currently, disaster relief is mainly achieved through point-to-point communication between local emergency departments and rescue teams. According to the different types of rescue, there will be an emergency command center responsible for the overall work in the local area to place rescue teams and assign tasks to them.

This is a very systematic matter, and rescue requires information disclosure in terms of scheduling, responding to public opinion, etc. Local civil affairs and emergency departments will pay attention to it from time to time.

Wang Zhen: Before we set off, we found local people online to pick us up. He took us into the disaster area from the highway entrance and found the local emergency management responsible person for unified command and dispatch.

Jiefang Daily · Shangkan News: In recent days, there have been multiple news reports that rescue teams are unable to respond to the rescue needs of residents along the way. Why is there such a situation of "not rescuing when facing disasters"?

Dong Ping: Generally speaking, civilian rescue forces will select corresponding rescue locations based on unified instructions or precise information sources from relevant departments, and prioritize self-protection and emergency rescue.

Wang Zhen: During the rescue process, there are requirements for the type of vessel and the weight of the code. There are many alleys in the village, and larger boats cannot turn around after entering. In areas with turbulent water flow, some civilian rescue teams carry rubber boats with a force of 15 yards, which cannot be used at all. At least boats with a force of 30 yards or more are needed. Now, several of the boats we are carrying are missing, and there are not enough life jackets to meet the rescue needs.

Xiao Bei: "Not rescuing when encountering a disaster" may occur when rescue personnel have not received rescue messages.

Basically, mature rescue teams will have a platform for collecting and reviewing rear information. Staff or volunteers extensively collect disaster information through the internet and other means for integration and screening. There are two key points: first, to determine the authenticity of the distress information, and second, to confirm whether it has been rescued. Information dissemination will lag behind.

The filtered distress information will be classified according to the degree of urgency and area, and then notified to frontline rescue personnel. Rescue personnel will analyze and determine the daily rescue area and tasks based on the emergency situation of the disaster victims.

In addition, the information on the rear platforms of different rescue teams has not yet been fully connected.

How is the situation of the resettlement site?

Liberation Daily · Shangguan News: What is the current situation of resettlement sites in Zhuozhou, Hebei? Has anyone reported difficulty in supplying resettlement sites in Zhuozhou No. 3 Middle School?

Lei Ceyuan: At 8 pm on August 3rd, at the temporary resettlement site of Zhuozhou No.3 Middle School located in Matou Town, Zhuozhou City, the reporter saw a temporary signal car and a washbasin at the entrance of the teaching building. Ambulances occasionally drive into the campus. Four four story teaching buildings, one three story teaching building, and one four story dormitory building on campus are all fully occupied, with about ten people in each room.

"The government also distributes goods, but there are indeed too many people to send them, and the transportation of goods is also limited." A staff member of the Nanlu Village Committee said, "Basically, each village is figuring out their own ways and demonstrating their abilities.". The villagers of Zhuotong Village in Wharf Town are distributing cotton quilts at the school gate. The villager stated that the cotton quilts were purchased in the name of the village committee and only distributed to the villagers in their own village. In front of the steps of the teaching building, there are many mineral water, instant noodles, bread and other supplies placed, which are purchased by young villagers in Nanlu Village, Wharf Town, and can be collected for free by local residents.

An on-site staff member told reporters that 3000 blankets and 3000 towels will also be brought that evening.

Temporary resettlement site of Zhuozhou No.3 Middle School. Photo by Lei Ceyuan

Zhang Qian: Zhuozhou Vocational Education Center is a relatively large temporary resettlement point and also a material transfer point. I sent two meals to that place, 30 dishes the day before yesterday, including meat and vegetables. Yesterday, breakfast was sent, and now local restaurants in Zhuozhou will lend a helping hand if they have the conditions.

Xu Xin: There is a 1500 square meter venue here that can be used for rescue teams to rest and store supplies. Currently, there is no domestic water available, but drinking water is available. The rescue personnel responsible for dispatching in Zhuozhou have contacted me, and about 200 rescue personnel have come here to rest.

Emergency communication vehicle. Photo by Lei Ceyuan

Liberation Daily · Shangkan News: What are the standards for resettlement sites?

Xiaobei: According to relevant documents issued by local emergency management bureaus, the first choice for centralized resettlement sites is civil air defense projects or public places with intact buildings and high levels of defense, such as primary and secondary schools, sports venues, village committees, etc. In addition, the resettlement points set up due to water disasters should also take into account the drainage facilities for rainwater and floods. At the same time, the resettlement site also meets basic living needs such as basic food, accommodation, clothing, and medical care.

According to different types of disasters, the situation of centralized resettlement sites varies. If it is an earthquake, the ground in the unaffected area is flat and dry, and resettlement sites can be built. However, for large-scale floods, resettlement sites can only be built after the water in some areas has completely receded. The reconstruction time after an earthquake is relatively long, and disaster victims may stay in resettlement sites for a longer period of time, with higher requirements for resettlement sites. However, the recovery after a flood is relatively fast, and most resettlement sites are temporary.

At present, the local resettlement sites in Zhuozhou are gradually improving, and the transfer and supply of materials are also gradually catching up.

Next steps for rescue and post disaster reconstruction

Liberation Daily · Shangguan News: On the afternoon of August 3rd, the Gongyang Rescue Team announced that it had ended the flood rescue work in Zhuozhou, Hebei and began to reorganize and evacuate. Has the rescue force reached saturation?

He Jun: The on-site rescue forces in Zhuozhou are in a state of saturation and excess, affecting normal command and dispatch. Upon receiving instructions from the Emergency Management Department, the Gongyang Rescue Team completed the flood rescue work in Zhuozhou, Hebei on August 3 and began to reorganize and evacuate, returning safely to construction.

Wang Haibo: It's already very saturated! At present, more than 300 civilian rescue teams have arrived in Zhuozhou, Hebei. According to incomplete statistics, the number of rescue personnel exceeds 3700.

When a disaster occurs, the excessive participation of rescue forces forces forces the local area to allocate material and human resources to specifically support the rescue team. However, the places and materials for resettling disaster victims are extremely limited. Oversaturation of rescue forces can squeeze out limited rescue resources and have a negative impact on local disaster relief.

Enthusiastic netizens who want to participate in the rescue need not be in a hurry. They can choose to join the local community in the "post disaster reconstruction", because at that time, the reconstruction of the disaster area needs volunteers with professional abilities such as psychological counseling, drainage, dredging, and disinfection and sterilization. In addition, volunteers traveling to disaster areas also need to consider their personal health and security capabilities, and try to join various tasks as a team.

Liberation Daily · Shangkan News: What are the next key rescue areas?

Dong Ping: Currently, Zhuozhou is still in the stage of life rescue. The first step is to assist the local government in transferring trapped individuals.

Rescue is a long-term process, and the early stage must be life rescue and timely replenishment of emergency supplies. During this period, there will be support from the foundation to transport materials. In the middle stage, it is disinfection and sterilization and epidemic prevention of the local environment, and in the later stage, it is psychological rescue, which will be a continuous process.

Zhang Ke: Our focus will shift to the Northeast region next. Northeast China has formed watershed floods. The flood of the downstream tributary of the Halin River has caused serious damage to the rice producing area of Wuchang, and will put great pressure on Harbin after its confluence. Shulan and Yushu in Jilin Province are also facing serious disasters.

In Zhuozhou, post disaster rescue will only reach its peak within a week, and now the Baoding mountainous area should be at its peak. If the road to the mountain is unobstructed, it is worth conducting post disaster assessment work.

Regarding corporate donations, it is also recommended not to donate too many materials and donations to the same disaster stricken area. Instead, one should focus on more areas with difficult infrastructure and low living standards, such as mountainous areas, where the severity of the disaster is much higher than that of plain areas. But in previous disaster relief work, it was often encountered that the more mountainous areas needed assistance, the less money could be raised.

Liberation Daily · Shangguan News: Will residents in flood storage and detention areas receive compensation?

Jiang Yao: Currently, both the country and Hebei Province have corresponding compensation regulations for flood storage and detention areas.

The Interim Measures for Compensation for the Use of Flood Storage and Detention Areas, issued in 2000, stipulate that housing in flood storage and detention areas shall be compensated at 70% of the loss caused by water damage. Household agricultural production machinery, draft animals, and household durable consumer goods with a value below 2000 yuan can be fully compensated. For water damage losses exceeding 2000 yuan but less than 4000 yuan, compensation of 2000 yuan will be provided.

At the same time, in response to some major natural disasters, the state will issue special compensation measures.

For example, after the extremely heavy rainstorm in Henan Province in 2021, there is the Work Plan for the Application Compensation of Flood Storage and Detention Areas in Henan Province in 2021, which is a special case. The rainstorm in Beijing Tianjin Hebei has not ended yet, and it is uncertain whether a separate compensation scheme will be developed according to the current situation.

Guo Teng: After the Hebei flood, if the affected people want to apply for compensation and assistance, there may be some difficulties: is there a causal relationship between property damage and the flood? How much of it was caused by floods? Is the property loss located within the designated flood storage and detention area?

Due to the fact that the determination of compensation in the future is the responsibility of the county-level people's government, which guides the specific implementation of townships, it belongs to specific administrative actions and may cause administrative disputes due to the amount of compensation.