Emergency rescue to protect the dam, they stand firm on the front line. The 33 hour hydropower station lost | rainfall | front line
From 20:00 on July 29th to 7:00 on August 2nd, Beijing experienced extreme heavy rainfall, which was the largest rainfall recorded by instruments in 140 years in the Beijing area. Many areas were also hit by floods.
The flood situation is particularly severe in the downstream of the Shanxia section of the Yongding River, including the Xiaweidian Hydropower Station and the Luopoling Dam. Due to power and communication interruptions, the 14 employees who stayed on duty here have been missing since July 31st, attracting attention from all sectors of society. They chose to stick to the front line during the 33 hours of loss, and through emergency rescue and protection of the dam, they avoided further expansion of the disaster.
At around 16:00 on August 2nd, the personnel on duty at Xiaweidian Power Station and Luopoling Dam were taken back to the Yongding River Basin Operation Company. Respondents provide pictures
Coming with a fierce force
On Monday, July 31st, Bai Jing braved the rain and went to work. She works at the Xiaweidian Hydropower Station in Miaofengshan Town, Mentougou District. Shortly after passing through the Xiaweidian Hydropower Station, the Yongding River transformed from a gorge section to a plain section.
Two days ago, Beijing issued a red warning for rainstorm, reminding citizens not to go out unless necessary. "My colleague from the previous class has been up all night, and if I don't go again, he won't be able to rest." The company bus was suspended due to a red warning, and Bai Jing left half an hour early to catch the 890 bus. When she arrived at the hydropower station, the rainstorm had arrived, and her clothes were all soaked by the rain. At that moment, what Bai Jing didn't expect was that she would soon usher in the most thrilling moment of her life.
The Xiaweidian power station before the flash flood. Respondents provide pictures
Bai Jing works in the central control room of the hydropower station, which is the most important part of the entire station. Before the rain, the hydropower station had already prepared for flood prevention, with sandbags, baffles, and other materials prepared one by one. When she was operating the equipment, the station master Zhou Junjie led someone to block the door of the central control room with a flood prevention baffle, and then blocked it with a sandbag.
The hydropower station is located in the mountains. Suddenly, the mountain torrent poured down the ditch and directly rushed into the hydropower station, both urgent and fierce. The sandbags outside the central control room were directly washed away, and water poured into the gaps of the baffle. "Stop! Stop immediately!" If the machine is not stopped again, it may cause water to enter the equipment, directly damage the equipment, and even bring safety risks. Bai Jing immediately controlled the computer according to the plan to prepare to shut down the generator set, but due to the high water level, it was difficult to close the guide vanes, and she tried twice in a row but failed.
The water keeps rising, and the situation is becoming increasingly urgent. After pressing the shutdown button for the third time, she immediately ran to prepare for manual shutdown. Fortunately, this time it finally took effect, the generator set was shut down, and everyone waded into the water carrying important information and ran towards the third floor.
As everyone retreated upstairs, the flood had already overflowed over a one meter high flood control barrier. An even stronger wave of floods struck, destroying doors and windows and quickly flooding the ground floor.
Outside, the electric poles were knocked down one by one. Due to power outages and communication interruptions, all 9 people who were at the Xiaweidian Hydropower Station at the time were lost from 11:20 am on July 31st.
Emergency dam protection
More than 10 kilometers upstream of Xiaweidian Hydropower Station is the Luopoling Reservoir Dam. At the same time, five people working at the dam also lost contact, including Zhao Yang.
Zhao Yang is a safety trainer for the Xiaweidian hydropower station and was not originally working on the dam. After receiving the rainstorm red warning, he was temporarily sent by Zhou Junjie to support the flood control. On the morning of July 31st, Zhao Yang discovered that the water level of the dam had exceeded the flood limit, and large trees, steel pipes, and even cars were constantly drifting downstream towards the dam.
The primary task at this moment is to raise the gate. If these large blocks are smashed towards the dam, it may cause damage to the dam body. But at this moment, the power suddenly interrupted. Zhao Yang and his men ran towards the diesel generator room 400 meters away, preparing to start the backup power supply. This computer room is backed by a big mountain. Just 5 minutes later, a sudden mudslide from the mountain broke through the back door of the computer room. For safety reasons, everyone had to cut off the power and escape.
"The gate must be opened, everyone follows me to manually lift the gate on the dam crest!" Zhao Yang is a veteran with a calm personality. The Luopo Ridge Dam has 12 gates and 12 hand operated devices. The weight of the equipment is too heavy for one person to move. Everyone threw away their umbrellas and formed groups of two or three, shouting slogans and exerting all their strength. The rainstorm lasted for 40 minutes, and everyone tried their best to raise the gate to ensure the safety of the dam.
All parties are concerned
On a rainy night, the surrounding area of Xiaweidian Hydropower Station is pitch black. Bai Jing hid in the office on the third floor, holding her phone with no signal, and soon her phone ran out of battery. "How are the people at home? Are they safe? Can I still go home?" She stayed up all night. The big tree rushing down from the upper reaches of the Yongding River collided with the bridge pier, making a sound like a car colliding and hitting her heart.
Bai Jing and her colleagues were unaware that after the news of their loss was reported, all sectors of society were concerned about their safety and hoping to find them as soon as possible. Her family couldn't get through the phone and had to drive up the mountain in the rain to find her, but they came up five times in a row and the road was blocked.
On the morning of August 1st, as the rain gradually subsided and the floods began to decline, everyone discussed forming a small team to go out for help. The small team walked along National Highway 109 for over two hours and happened to encounter the rescue personnel sent by the company, who also brought a satellite phone. When we return to the hydropower station, everyone's first thing is to report safety to their families. "I'm fine, don't worry!" Some people cried when they heard their family's voices, while others instructed each other over the phone.
Zhou Junjie has one more thing to do: the Luopo Ridge Dam, which is more than 10 kilometers away, is still in a disconnected state. Are Zhao Yang and his team okay? He decided to set off immediately and search for everyone on the dam.
"The teachers and masters said there is a shortcut on the mountain, let's try it out!" Zhou Junjie couldn't help but wonder to Wang Shuang beside him: if this road has not been crossed, will it also be washed away? Wang Shuang agreed without saying a word, and the two picked up a satellite phone, two flashlights, and a piece of safety rope and set off.
The road is indeed difficult to walk. They first explored along the national highway, then crossed the railway bridge and entered the train tunnel. On a section of the road that had been washed away, the two of them stepped on the roadside railing, holding onto the rope and moving forward step by step. Eight or nine kilometers, it took two and a half hours to climb and finally reach the Luopo Ridge Dam.
Seeing the dawn
At around 8 pm on August 1st, Zhao Yang and his team, who were stranded at the dam, saw two faint lights from a distance - Zhou Junjie and Wang Shuang had just arrived at the dam and were searching for them by shaking their flashlights.
"Dawn! Dawn!" Everyone on site shouted towards the light. For them, these two beams of light are hope. At this point, they have been lost for 33 hours.
After confirming that all the workers at the dam were safe and unharmed, Zhou Junjie decided to temporarily stay at the temporary shelter next to the dam that night, and then lead everyone back to the hydropower station when the rain is slightly less at dawn. In the shelter, prepare sleeping bags and food in advance. On a cold rainy night, everyone was chewing on instant noodles while feeling warm in their hearts.
Finally, it was dawn. At around 6 o'clock in the morning of August 2nd, the group walked back along the mountain road explored by Zhou Junjie and Wang Shuang. After the impact of another night's rainstorm, the road was full of risks. Everyone held hands tightly for fear that someone might fall down accidentally.
After more than two hours, everyone finally arrived at the Xiaweidian Hydropower Station and safely returned home that afternoon.
"I have learned a lot this time, and I will be more stable in dealing with people and things in the future!" Since starting work in 1987, Zhou Junjie has been stationed in Xiaweidian for more than 30 years. Just two days after returning home, he rushed back to work because the hydroelectric power station facilities were severely damaged. If the repair was completed one day earlier, power generation could be restored one day earlier.
