Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 933 - 624: The Great Evacuation!

Han Yu made a round at the construction site and eventually came to the six piping holes constantly gushing water and sand.

The diameter of the piping holes is continuously expanding, and the flow rate of the pipes is also increasing. The old engineer from Angong County Water Resources Bureau said that when they first arrived, mostly clear water was spouting out. Now, even with straw filtering, they still saw muddy water with sand.

The previously installed drainage pipes can no longer handle it; the water spouting out is about to overflow the newly elevated sandbag rimmed well.

Even if the water side of the dyke foot was not hollowed out by the flood, this still counts as a major hazard!

County Magistrate Huang and Director Hu had to consider the safety of hundreds of thousands at the base of the dyke, reluctantly deciding to organize an urgent evacuation of the people. As Camp Commander of Linghai Reserve Camp, Han Yu must also ensure the safety of all officers and equipment within the camp.

He glanced at the old engineer with a worried face, and immediately raised his walkie-talkie: "Engineer Yan, Engineer Yan, this is Han Yu, do you copy?"

"Copy, copy, Secretary Han, go ahead!"

"Please immediately adjust the wireless communication frequency; construction belongs to construction, logistics support belongs to logistics support. Also, arrange a frequency for the soon-to-be-established Water Resources Technical Group."

"Copy, adjusting immediately." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Once adjusted, notify everyone, and arrange to send over a walkie-talkie to me at the piping outlet."

"Understood!"

The camp not only possesses the most advanced motorola walkie-talkies, shockproof and waterproof, but also a relay control station, for which Engineer Yan Jun from Yangtze River Communication Bureau Binjiang Communication Office is responsible.

When Engineer Yan allocates the latest usage frequency and arranges for the walkie-talkie to be delivered over, Han Yu casually hands it to Engineer Yan from Angong County Water Resources Bureau.

"Commander Han, what is this for?" the old engineer instinctively asks.

"Engineer Yan, to ensure construction safety and to give an early warning to evacuating people, we need to establish a Water Resources Technical Group. I will be the group leader, and I ask you, Master Xi, and Master Yao to serve as deputy leaders. From now on, we need to closely monitor the evolving dangers of piping and the dyke, consulting every twenty minutes like the Meteorological Bureau predicts weather changes to diagnose these two major dangers!"

"Commander Han, the piping evolves too quickly, the dyke foot is hollowed out, the dyke ahead could collapse at any time. This isn't like weather forecasts, it's more like earthquake predictions, you can't be sure."

"There always are telltale signs. As long as we closely monitor, we will be able to find traces before a collapse."

Without explaining, Han Yu tunes the walkie-talkie to the frequency Engineer Yan just allocated, and shouts: "Master Xu, Master Yao, do you copy?"

"Copy, copy, Secretary Han, go ahead."

"Master Xu, Master Yao, considering the rapid development of the piping hazard, I've decided to form a Water Resources Technical Group. You two are water experts, you are natural members. We don't have time to study other things now, so I'm giving you orders directly."

"Go ahead."

"The sky is about to brighten, once it's bright many things can be done. Master Xu, I will notify the instructor now to gather the original flood control technical group's local experts under your command. Please organize them to monitor the dyke to closely observe any minute changes in the dyke crest, body, and foot."

"Alright."

"Master Yao, engineering data can be done at a later time, please immediately power on your computer and use the underwater survey system on 001 to monitor subtle changes especially at the underwater portions of the hazard stretch riverbed terrain. Considering scanning display is too fast, it's difficult to compare the current survey results with those from five minutes ago by memory. Simply print a record every five minutes using a printer."

"Secretary Han, are you suggesting we use observation to conduct predictions and alerts about the dyke and piping?"

"Yes, I know prediction results won't be very precise, but it is still better than having no idea at all."

"Understood."

"Wait a moment." Han Yu thought for a while and continued: "The water level has dropped a bit, the water side slope of the dyke has surfaced more than a meter. We also need to organize people to get on boats to monitor the water side slope of the dyke from the river. Master Xu, Master Yao is responsible for the underwater part, the river monitoring will also be under your charge. I will arrange personnel and vessels, and we need to consult every twenty minutes about the hazard with Engineer Yan responsible for piping."

Analyzing hazard development through observation monitoring, although not very reliable, if large changes can be timely observed, warnings can be issued to those still constructing and evacuating people. Even a five-minute warning before the collapse can save many lives.

Master Xu felt it necessary, hurriedly agreed: "Alright, let's do this!"

With Han Yu's command, the flood control technical group's dispersed local experts and twelve members of the Water Rescue Team were quickly in position.

The hazard stretch totals twenty-six meters, to ensure absolute safety, Master Xu extended the monitoring range ten meters on each side. With the help of logistics support personnel, a row of Red Flags was stuck across every five meters horizontally within the monitoring range, marked with numbers using white paint.

In this way, "observers" on the shore and tugs only need to watch the five-meter dyke stretch they are responsible for without getting confused.

Faced with such serious danger, Engineer Yan was nearly desperate earlier.

Seeing the reinforcements from Linghai were so professional, equipped with such advanced equipment, even capable of detecting the riverbed and dyke underwater, confidence reignited instantly. Engineer Yan quickly arranged for Party cadres and Basic Civilian Soldiers dealing with piping hazards to move sandbags.

The rimmed well cannot contain the spouting water anymore.

Ahead is the major dyke, behind is the "new levee" under tense construction, the spouting water has to be drained.

Han Yu immediately ordered Xiao Yu to hurry and drive No. 2 excavator here to dig a reservoir well, then ordered No. 3 loader to transport the water pump here, instructed electrical and mechanical personnel to pull cables and connect water pipes, draining the ceaselessly gushing water into the river.

...

Meanwhile, the advance unit of the 2nd Battalion of the 132nd Regiment, rushing urgently towards the dangerous section of Yang Liu Village, was stuck on the road.

Along the way, the loudspeakers in all the villages were blaring, all announcing the evacuation.

This area is part of the flood control area. Although the cadres repeatedly emphasized through the loudspeakers that it was not a flood diversion but merely a precaution, the locals believed it was a flood diversion.

From the first broadcast notification at four thirty in the morning, people gradually started moving their belongings out, triggering a chain reaction and more and more people began moving with their shoulder poles, hands, and carts on the road.

The broadcast notifications grew increasingly urgent, and even the televisions that usually had no signal in the middle of the night were broadcasting emergency evacuation notices for two townships and three villages. Nearby villages quickly joined the wave of escape.

Main roads, side roads, ridges…

Every visible path was crowded with people, vehicles, and livestock. Although public security police officers were maintaining order at regular intervals, and numerous cadres were shouting propaganda, asking everyone to remain calm, chaos and congestion were inevitable.

The crowds were too dense and varied—men and women, young and old, jostling against one another, with the elderly fearing collisions and the young fearing getting lost.

The main roads were swamped with vehicles—big trucks, small four-wheelers, tricycles, motorcycles, flatbeds, handcarts, bicycles—everything that could be used was used.

Moreover, these vehicles were nearly overloaded with food, furniture, luggage, and appliances, creating great bulk. Whenever a vehicle broke down, it caused immediate blockage. The livestock added to the headache; the domesticated or free-range animals had never seen such a scene and kept causing trouble.

Cattle were relatively easier to manage.

Pigs, however, were challenging. In some cases, there wasn't time to get them in cages or vehicles, so they were tied with ropes, with people trying to lead them, and some even tied several pigs with one rope.

Unlike the trained cattle, you pull to the east, and the pigs will stubbornly head west, digging and thrusting, causing sporadic disturbances among the crowds...

Tens of thousands of people fleeing with their families—a scene only witnessed in films and television.

Li Shousong could hardly believe everything he saw before him, and the Company Commander was equally shocked.

The driver honked the horn repeatedly, hoping the oncoming crowd would make way, but no matter how persistently he honked, it was useless. Public security police and several cadres came over to help clear the way, but the congestion issue remained unsolved.

The driver was quietly anxious. Li Shousong couldn't afford to wait any longer; he immediately opened the door and got out of the car, shouting back: "First Company, disembark everyone."

"Yes!"

"Officer, do you know the exact location of the dangerous section in Yang Liu Village?"

"Yes."

"Can you lead the way, please?"

"Major, the road is so blocked, it's impassable."

Li Shousong, resolute, said, "We'll go through the fields, take a shortcut."

Compared to maintaining evacuation order, leading the liberation army officers and soldiers risking their lives to the rescue might be more important. The public security police considered this and stood at attention, saluting: "Yes!"

Li Shousong returned the salute and quickly turned back: "Everyone, bring the tools, take the shortcut through the fields, advance on the double!"

The evacuation of so many people indicates how severe the danger ahead must be.

The warriors couldn't care less about whether the female soldiers of the Hong Kong Garrison were pretty or not; they unanimously shouted "Yes" and, led by the Camp Commander, rushed into the fields following the public security police officer leading the way.

The driver hesitated, quickly stuck his head out to shout, "Camp Commander, what should we do?"

Li Shousong suddenly realized he couldn't leave the four military vehicles here, yet they couldn't move now. He immediately ran over, pointing to another public security police officer maintaining order: "You few follow the commands of the officer, assist the crowd in evacuating, and after completing the task, return to the team."

The driver hurriedly replied, "Yes."

Right now, vehicles are what are most lacking!

The public security police officers were sincerely grateful and quickly stopped the crowd from continuously pushing forward, signaled for the military vehicles to turn around, and then assisted the elderly and children onto the vehicles...

The Second Company and Third Company also got stuck on the road, but they didn't wait; upon seeing the main road being inaccessible, they took the small paths, and when even they got crowded, they rushed into the paddy fields.

The two guides were reluctant to leave their motorcycles by the roadside and helped them find a village cadre.

The village cadre, familiar with the terrain and having good physical fitness from long-term farm work, led them sprinting through the fields, arriving at the dangerous section in Yang Liu Village ahead of the First Company, who had set off by vehicle.

Under normal circumstances, when the liberation army came to support, even if the County Armed Forces Minister didn't have time, he would arrange specialized military cadres to come over for communication and coordination.

But this is not a normal time; the roads leading here are congested, and colleagues from the Armed Forces Department can't make it. Even if the roads were clear, the Armed Forces Department now needs to organize the basic civilian soldiers to assist the crowd in evacuating.