Spirit, unity overcome threat of floodwaters

Rapid response

The dike breach followed 17 days of heavy downpours in Hunan, the longest continuous period of heavy rain since 1961.

Dongting Lake connects major rivers in the province with the Yangtze River, and authorities issued the first flood warning for the year on June 30.

By 5:48 pm on July 5 water had begun rushing through channels in the dike. The breach in the dike eventually expanded to 226 meters after failed attempts to fill the gap.

An area of 47.6 square kilometers — 92.5 percent of the township — ended up being flooded, but there have so far been no reports of casualties.

When Liu Guanghui, 67, heard the notice from the loudspeaker, he thought that it might be his time to die.

He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage five years ago and has since had to use a wheelchair and rely on a part-time caregiver. His wheelchair is not in good working order and it is difficult for him to get around.

Liu lives by himself as his three adopted sons all live in Changsha, the capital of Hunan.

"Luckily, two of the village officials, one named Zu Shuang and another who I do not know, came to my house and carried me and my wheelchair to a safe location," he said. "I did not have time to thank them before they rushed off to save more people."

Despite the initial concerns of a potential disaster, by Monday night the breach was sealed, just three days after the accident happened.

By Tuesday, rescue crews had started to drain floodwater from Tuanzhou, which is expected to take 17 days to complete.

All 7,680 people living in Tuanzhou have been transferred to safe places, with around 4,000 of them settled temporarily at five schools in the county. The remainder are staying with friends and family.

Zhang Yingchun, executive deputy governor of Hunan, said more than 4,200 emergency rescuers and over 3,000 pieces of equipment were assisting in the relief and rescue efforts.