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Amid the record-breaking torrential rains and flooding caused by Typhoon No. 18 (Saudel)—which struck Putian City in China’s Fujian Province on the 3rd of this month—a “wild villager” became a hot topic on social media for risking his life to clear debris from the muddy torrents. You really shouldn’t push yourself that far.
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A series of water-related accidents during high water levels in China
During the recent heavy rains that struck Putian City, cumulative rainfall reached 416.5 millimeters between September 3 and the morning of September 4, setting a new record since data collection began. The damage was widespread, with 1,261 people seeking refuge in shelters in Chengxiang District alone and a total of 1,145 evacuation facilities opened across the city. In China, such heavy rains frequently lead to fatal accidents involving people who venture too close to swollen rivers, ravines, or turbulent coastlines. Earlier this year, 25 people died in a ravine in Gansu Province in July, and five others perished in a ravine in Xianyou County, Fujian Province, in June, all caught in flash floods. Experts cite several contributing factors: the difficulty of predicting exactly where localized downpours will strike; the lack of mobile phone signals in ravines, which prevents warning alerts from getting through; and the way calm, scenic landscapes during fair weather can dull one’s perception of danger. Even when authorities restrict access to coastlines and embankments as a typhoon approaches, there is no end to incidents where people bypass these measures to view high waves and subsequently fall victim to the elements.
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