Lack of awareness highlighted after rescue teams evacuate stricken villagers

Sun Liping, professor of sociology at Tsinghua University's School of Social Sciences in Beijing, said in an article on WeChat on Friday, "The heavy rain resulted in a serious disaster, reminding us once again that there is a need for flood awareness in northern China, which is accustomed to drought."

There are many aspects to flood awareness, including experience, mental preparation, judgment and determination, as well as the need to be prepared, Sun said.

"Such awareness to a large extent determines our response speed, methods and effective actions when we encounter flood disasters," he added.

Residents in Yang's village didn't leave until the last moment, especially seniors who underestimated the seriousness of the situation and failed to make any preparations.

"We don't have any basic rescue equipment, such as lifejackets or lifebuoys," Yang said, adding that he is the only member of his family who can swim, even though they all grew up near a river.

An article published two years ago on the China Meteorological Administration's WeChat account said that due to continuous drought in some places, people are eager for water, but lack a strong awareness of the need for flood control measures.

"In addition to this weak awareness, there is insufficient disaster response experience among grassroots organizations," the article said, citing meteorology experts.

It added that the mechanism for forecasting and preventing flood disasters should be strengthened.