Bac Ninh: Staying up all night to "watch" for floods

Staying up all night in the rain and floods

When heavy rains caused by storm No. 11 (Matmo) poured down fiercely on the mountain slopes of the communes: Yen Dinh, Tay Yen Tu, Son Dong... it was also the time when the grassroots disaster prevention and control forces entered the night shift, straining themselves to perform their duties.

According to the Bac Ninh Hydrometeorological Station, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on October 6, rainfall measured in many highland communes reached from 70 to more than 103.8 mm; soil humidity in many places reached 90%, the risk of flash floods and landslides was at level 1 warning.

Son Dong commune authorities placed warning signs in the dangerous area due to flooding from village No. 4 to village Dinh (Son Dong commune).

In Son Dong commune, when the clock struck 9 p.m., the rain was still heavy. Many inter-village roads and traffic points were cut off, and some households had to evacuate on the spot or stay at relatives' houses that night. On roads and steep passes with landslides and overflows, the on-duty force stretched ropes and placed warning signs to prevent people from passing.

Surveying at the top of Va Pass, a long slide dragged a large mass of rock and soil that had just collapsed onto the road, a desolate red color. Along with the pouring rain, water from the ravines continued to flow out, threatening the safety of the area. The tunnels connecting Va village to Dong Dau village; from village No. 4 to Dinh village... (in the same commune of Son Dong) were rising faster and faster, the water swirling and carrying away the murky mud.

“No one can sleep when it is raining heavily outside, many places are at risk of flash floods and landslides. Tonight, we will stay up all night, straining to cope with the rain and floods, and must keep people safe,” said Nguyen Van An, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Son Dong Commune, after finishing his patrol at midnight.

On the night of October 6, Son Dong commune mobilized all members of the commune's Civil Defense Command to divide into many groups to go to each village to grasp the situation. Everyone took turns on duty, just hoping that the rain would stop and the flood would recede quickly so that early tomorrow morning people could return to their daily lives.

Militia, commune police, and youth union members were on duty all night at the tunnels: An Ba, Quynh Son, Ao Bong, Phu Hung... In the darkness, people called each other with flashlights to follow the water, check streams, hillsides, and behind houses, mixed with the sound of rushing water.

Thanks to the early implementation of the "4 on-site" policy, as of the morning of October 7, Son Dong commune had no human casualties; 6.5 hectares of rice and 2.5 hectares of crops were flooded and being repaired, 3,500 m³ of landslides were isolated and given safety warnings.

Previously, on the afternoon of October 6, when the rain began to pour heavily, in Yen Dinh commune, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee Chu Thi Toan and Chairman of the Commune People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong directly went to Dong Ha village to inspect the scene of the concrete road that had collapsed and eroded the roadbed, directly affecting the traffic safety of the people.

Son Dong commune leaders inspected landslide sites in the area.

Due to the complicated developments of floods and the circulation of previous storms, there are dozens of landslides and landslide risks in the commune. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong informed: "We have directed the placement of warning signs and assigned forces to be on duty all night to ensure traffic safety. People are not allowed to return to dangerous areas until absolute safety is guaranteed."

From the village to the commune, the loudspeaker system was continuously on at night, broadcasting warnings to call on people to be ready to respond when the flood rose. Mass organizations checked and mobilized households in low-lying areas and along streams to proactively move. On-duty forces were ready with raincoats, flashlights, and life buoys to go out on the streets to participate in rescue missions that very night.

Ready "4 on the spot"

In the rainy night, there are not only numbers about rain and landslides, but also stories about the sense of responsibility of the people in the highlands of Bac Ninh.

In a quick report sent to the Provincial Civil Defense Command, the leader of Tay Yen Tu commune said that 100% of the members of the Commune Civil Defense Command took shifts to patrol throughout the night. Roads flooded 30-40 cm deep were all placed with warning signs. "Despite the heavy rain in waves, we still have to check every tunnel and every traffic route in the area. Just a small mistake can have huge consequences," affirmed Chairman of the Commune People's Committee Nguyen Van Thang.

Leaders of Tay Yen Tu commune inspected some households in Ron village.

In Son Dong commune, facing the continuous heavy rain, comrade Tong Thi Huong Giang, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, directed and requested members of the Commune Civil Defense Command to ensure the number of personnel on duty, ready to respond and help people evacuate people and property.

Party cell secretaries and village chiefs closely monitored developments, mobilized support forces, and at the same time, disseminated information to households at risk of landslides and flooding so that they could promptly evacuate people and property to safety. They requested everyone not to be negligent or subjective in any situation. Following the direction of the Central Government, the province and the commune, village officials were on duty 24/7, coordinating with the police force and organizations to ensure that people were not allowed to cross the culvert while the water level was still high.

“No one wants to stay up all night, but we can’t sleep when the water is still high and flowing rapidly. Keeping people safe is our first duty and our reason for living,” said Nguyen Van Thang, Chairman of Tay Yen Tu Commune People’s Committee.

In places where landslides and flooding occur, local authorities have placed warning signs.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nen, Linh Phu village, Tuan Dao commune, whose house is near Om river, said: “In the highlands, whenever it rains heavily, there is flooding. Local people are very familiar with flooding. However, recently, the weather has become more and more unusual, with storms following each other, causing damage to production and daily life, making life extremely difficult for people in my hometown. Therefore, we are always ready with means to respond to natural disasters and reduce damage.”

Water from the mountain slopes flows down to residential areas. Photo taken in Son Dong commune.

Along with the flood watch of leaders and people of the mountainous communes of Son Dong, at night, the leaders of the Provincial Civil Defense Command also regularly grasp the situation and encourage the forces on duty.

Comrade Dang Cong Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, informed that storm No. 11 appeared when localities, especially highland communes, had just experienced recent floods with many damages. In the context that the land has enough water, the water level of the rivers is at a high level, under the impact of heavy rains caused by storm No. 11, the disaster prevention and control forces and the people will have to work even harder. However, with the spirit of being proactive from early on, from afar, localities need to continue to raise vigilance, prevent large floods on rivers causing flooding in low-lying areas, flash floods and landslides.

Thanks to the proactiveness and determination of the government, functional forces and the solidarity of the people, the highland communes of Bac Ninh have overcome the heavy rain that lasted all night, ensuring absolute safety of people.

Storm No. 11 passed, leaving behind landslides and flooded fields, but also deeply engraved the beautiful image of the spirit of staying up all night to "watch" the flood. From Yen Dinh commune to Son Dong, Tay Yen Tu... - where the mountains and forests are overlapping, those sleepless nights connected the will of people for a belief: Keeping peace for the people in the midst of floods.

Son Dong commune authorities worked through the night to respond to floods and rains.

Article, photos, clip: Mai Toan - The Dai

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/bac-ninh-trang-dem-canh-lu-postid428254.bbg