Connecting rescuers during flood season thanks to social networks

DNO - Heavy rains over the past few days have caused flooding in many places. Together with the authorities, people in the downstream areas of the Thu Bon and Vu Gia rivers have proactively used social networks to share information, call for help, connect, rescue and support each other in emergency situations.

Volunteer rescue teams use canoes to take people away from the flood center to safe shelters in Nong Son. Photo: BDS Charity Association

Timely information on social networks has helped many victims quickly access rescue forces, affirming the essential role of this platform in disaster prevention and control.

Call for help in the flood

On the afternoon of October 27, floodwaters from upstream poured in quickly, isolating the family of Ms. Tran Thi Hien (resident of Nong Son commune). With two small children and belongings that had not yet been moved to higher ground, Ms. Hien was forced to ask for help on social media.

On her personal page, Ms. Hien posted an urgent appeal: "There are two small children in the house, if anyone has a canoe, please help them cross the street. The family does not have a boat to get to safety, can anyone help?", along with a picture of a deeply flooded house, the water almost touching the gate post.

The post quickly went viral. Many people shared the phone numbers of rescue teams in Nong Son, Dai Loc, Duy Xuyen; at the same time, some others directly contacted the authorities to coordinate the rescue.

About an hour later, a local rescue boat arrived and took Ms. Hien's family to safety. Ms. Hien emotionally shared: "I posted this while I was in a panic. I didn't expect that just a few minutes later, many people would share, call to ask, give instructions and help contact the rescue team. When the boat arrived, I was so happy I couldn't speak."

Ms. Hien's status received many interactions and contacted the rescue team to bring her family to safety. Photo: Hien Tran

Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet (resident of Duy Xuyen commune) also sought support via social networks. When she finished work at 4:30 p.m., worried that the road home would be flooded, she posted the question: "Please provide information on floods in Duy Xuyen, specifically the old Duy Son commune. Which is the safe way home?"

Ms. Tuyet’s post received nearly 100 comments, along with many videos , maps of flooded areas and phone numbers of people with boats to help. Thanks to that, she was able to determine a safe route to return home.

Not only the people, but also the commune authorities actively take advantage of social networks to spread information. Typically, the Facebook channel of Thu Bon commune posted a call for support for Mr. Tran Tuyen's nearly 700-cow farm that was being flooded. The post quickly attracted interaction from the community, causing people around the area to immediately come to help move the herd of cows to a safe place, minimizing damage to the family.

According to a summary from local rescue teams, during the recent floods, emergency phone numbers such as 112, SOS Quang Nam (0777.494115), Thu Bon River Canoe Team (0905.617329) or coordinator Tran Quyet Thang (0949.987888) were widely spread on Facebook and Zalo. This information spread helped rescue forces easily receive requests, locate victims and reach them much faster than traditional channels.

Forming a warning network

Not only stopping at calling for help, social networks have also become a tool for warning and transmitting information quickly and accurately in many localities.

Mr. Pham Phu Thai, an expert at the Office of the People's Committee of Nong Son Commune, with many years of experience in the Command Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue, has become a reliable information channel for the people.

Mr. Thai shared: "Every time it rains heavily, people often text me asking for updates on the situation. I consider it my responsibility. Every 2-3 hours, I post information about water levels, deeply flooded areas and impassable roads. People follow to be more proactive in traveling. In many cases, after posting a distress message, only ten minutes later, forces arrived to assist."

At the same time, volunteer SOS teams and professional rescue forces are also actively operating on social networks as an effective coordination channel. Groups such as "Central Rescue", "SOS Quang Nam - Da Nang ", "Flood Season Response" or regional Zalo groups continuously update the list of people needing support, contact phone numbers and location coordinates. This helps the authorities quickly identify the area, thereby arranging appropriate means and personnel.

Roads that were deeply submerged in floodwaters were promptly warned to the people. In the photo is a road section in Nong Son commune. Photo: Luu Dinh Long

In Que Phuoc commune, a locality with complex terrain along the Thu Bon river, the application of social networks has become a key solution in rescue work.

Ms. Tao Thi To Diem, Chairwoman of the Commune People's Committee, said that if they only waited for reports from the villages, the information could be delayed for many hours. However, when people posted photos and videos on Facebook, the commune leaders could immediately grasp the situation of flooding or landslide risks in the areas, thereby promptly mobilizing response forces.

According to Ms. Diem, local authorities always recommend that people memorize emergency phone numbers and maintain regular contact via Zalo and Facebook channels. When natural disasters occur, these are essential tools to help authorities respond quickly, and are also a platform for people to proactively share warnings with each other.

Ms. Diem commented: "Technology has become an indispensable part of disaster prevention and control. Thanks to social networks, many dangerous situations are detected early, helping authorities proactively respond and raise people's awareness. That is extremely valuable in the effort to protect community safety."

Source: https://baodanang.vn/ket-noi-cuu-ho-trong-mua-lu-nho-mang-xa-hoi-3308464.html