Netizens, municipality make maps of flooding

Authorities and Internet users have made maps of Beijing roads and areas that were flooded during Saturday's downpour as the municipality braces for more heavy rain today.

On Tuesday, the Beijing Water Authority released a map of roads that were swamped (http://t.cn/zWSQv2I), and asked residents to avoid those areas in future major storms. Beijing's worst rainstorm in 61 years was responsible for at least 37 deaths and stranded countless motorists on roads. Weather forecasts said the municipality could be hit by more heavy rain on Wednesday night and today.

The water authority mapped out 30 road sections where the rainwater had been more than 30 cm deep, and 33 road sections where the water was less than 30 cm.

Most of the road sections where the water was deeper than 30 cm were at low-lying intersections. The majority of these sections were on the municipality's Second Ring, Third Ring and Fourth Ring roads. More road sections were flooded in the southern part of the municipality than in the north.

The municipality's map went online after several similar homemade ones. The online campaign was initiated at Guokr.com, a social network website for science fans.

Registered users at the website shared their experience of the flooded roads. A netizen with the Internet name of "goldengrape" compiled the experiences and released a Google map of the roads and communities that had been flooded.

Forty places were labeled on his map as "danger zones" with details of dangers in specific areas, such as "manhole covers washed away".

Safety tips

1. In case of an emergency, dial 119 or 110 for help. Hotlines may be busy during storms. If the line is busy, call your family or friends for help.

2 .If you are in an area that's flooded, seek higher ground, go to a place that is sturdy and contact rescue authorities for help. If possible, collect floating objects such as wood basins or buckets for future use. Stay in a safe place if you do not know whether the floodwaters have receded.

3. If you are driving and approach a flooded roadway, get out of the car as soon as possible, seek higher ground and call the police.

4 .If you drive through a flooded roadway and the water exceeds half the height of the car's wheels, stop driving or you may become stranded.

5 .If your car is stranded and the windows will not open, use a hammer to break one of the windows. Don't hit the center of the window. Strike one of the corners, where the glass is more fragile.

6 .If your car is submerged, it will be difficult to open the doors because of the water pressure. Wait until the car is filled with water, and then the door should open easily.

7 .Do not walk through moving water. The force from six inches of moving water is strong enough to knock you down. If you must walk through water, try to wade through a section that is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you.

8. Stay clear of water that is in contact with downed power lines.

Beijing Fire Control Authority - China Daily

xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn