A flood preparedness drill saw a siren cry for a couple of minutes in the small village of Gaoqiao in east China's Jiangxi Province on Wednesday afternoon.
Soon, villagers rushed out of their houses with children in their arms. They ran toward a shelter in the village, with a dozen volunteers arriving to help transport seniors, women and children to a safer location.
At the same time, firemen searched the village for those left behind and police cordoned off the entrance of the village.
This was an initiative aimed at preparing Gaoqiao to evacuate in case of a flood. It formed part of the community-based disaster management (CBDM) program, sponsored by the United Kingdom and featuring participation from China, Bangladesh, Nepal and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Three counties in China have carried out the program. They are Yongxin County of Jiangxi, to which Gaoqiao Village is attached, Jiaojiang District of Taizhou City in east China's Zhejiang Province and Mangshi of southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Yongxin was chosen because it has been haunted frequently by floods. The other two were picked for their susceptibility to typhoons and earthquakes.
Since the program started in January 2013, villagers in Gaoqiao have taken part in two other similar drills.
"I feel more calm and prepared after the drills. If a flood really came, I would know what to do and what not to do," said Zhu Yu, a housewife in her forties.
Villagers used to just react based on their experience when flooding hit.
Regular drills have helped them prepare psychologically and all government departments receive good training and improve their capacity, said Hu Juan, a county official.
Mary Hunt, of the UK's Department for International Development, observed the drill with government officials and experts from China, the UK, Bangladesh, Nepal and UNDP representatives.
"This is a comprehensive disaster control drill. All aspects of disaster control are included in this drill, especially communication work, which is the most important issue," Hunt said.
Besides foreign guests, some officials from northeast China also observed the exercise.
Other places that are at risk from natural disasters can also learn from Yongxin's experience, according to Hu.
China has made great progress in setting up a disaster control system since the outbreak of SARS in 2003, said Lai Hongzhou, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
But the country has so far focused on disaster relief, while more efforts are needed in early warning and preparation for disaster, Lai added. "That's why we need to improve the role of community in disaster control and the public awareness."
