1956 Tsunami Site in Xiangshan, Zhejiang Province

At the beginning of August, 1956, the center landed in Xiangshan, our province (code 56 12), which not only brought serious disasters to Zhejiang, but also brought serious disasters to Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hebei, Shandong and other provinces and cities. So far, 50 years have passed. Looking back on the once-in-a-century giant super typhoon may be beneficial to learning new things, especially. And the intensity is particularly large, and it is easy to break the historical record. For example, the number of typhoons that affected our province as many as seven times the year before last was twice that of previous years, and three of them landed in Zhejiang, which was unprecedented in 82 years; Last year's Hurricane Katrina almost destroyed the whole city of New Orleans in the United States, and it has not fully recovered yet. Meteorological disasters are undoubtedly one of the important factors that cause social instability. Review 56 12 for better defense against super typhoon in the future.

By searching and comparing the typhoons that landed in mainland China in recent 60 years, the typhoons with low central pressure, wide range, high wind speed, high tide, fierce precipitation and strong destructive power, the typhoon with the second intensity in mainland China was 65438+6903, which landed in Shantou on July 28, 1969. The tidal bore also caused serious losses to the soldiers and civilians in Niu Tianyang, Shantou. As for the intensity of landing in Zhejiang, the second place was Typhoon Kanu (05 15) last year with 945 hectopascals, and the third place in Zhejiang was 0509 (Mai Sha) last year and 04 14 (Yunna) with 950 hectopascals the year before last.

The main features of 56 12 are:

1, super-large range: the radius of the 6-level wind circle exceeds 1000 km. When the center landed in Xiangshan, it was within the 6-level wind circle from Qingdao in the north to Xiamen in the south. Some scholars once called it a "giant typhoon" with a radius greater than 1000 km and a "mini typhoon" with a radius less than 100 km.

2. The central air pressure is extremely low and the wind is extremely strong. When 56 12 landed, the central air pressure was 923 hectopascals, which is the lowest value measured when the center landed on the mainland so far. The maximum wind speed is 65m/s. In previous years, the meteorological department used the original Marie Poi scale, and the maximum wind speed was only 12, so it is difficult to express a super typhoon above 12. This year, the Marie Poi scale was extended to 17, which can correctly express the super typhoon, but the wind speed of typhoon 56 12 reached 65m/s.

According to the sentry patrolling Xiangshan, when the typhoon struck, people could not stand up at all and could only crawl on the ground. The storm whipped their faces like a bamboo whip, making them very painful and even difficult to breathe.

3. Extremely high tides produce tsunamis, which can occur in two ways: one is caused by submarine earthquakes (or volcanoes), such as the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004; The other is caused by a strong typhoon, such as 5612,6903, etc. Due to the extremely low air pressure, the sea surface is sucked up, with a height of more than 7 meters and a diameter of several tens of kilometers, which is equivalent to the size of the eye area. When the center landed in Linhai Township, Xiangshan, it swept away 3084 soldiers and civilians guarding the seawall. According to survivors, the seawall is 3 meters high and the storm surge exceeds the seawall by about 4 meters. After crossing the seawall, the tide quickly dissipated. So the tsunami didn't last about 15-30 minutes, and the tide rushed in and out, with a depth of 10 km. In just a few minutes, the tsunami razed the usually busy towns to the ground, and some left only a rubble field, and the scenery was very bleak. 1922 the typhoon that landed in Shantou, Guangdong province also had a tsunami. The sea rushed in and out, killing 50 thousand people. After the epidemic, 200,000 people died. The tidal height is 4.6m, which is lower than 56 12. The tsunami that hit Niu Tianyang in Shantou in 6903 was about 4.4m lower than that of 1922.

4. The rainstorm is particularly heavy, and the mountain torrents are particularly heavy. The center passes through northern Zhejiang, where mountain torrents are everywhere. The scene is horrible. When mountain torrents rush, the water head stretches forward like a white cloth, and both sides of the water flow condense into a knife on the flat ground. When people run forward, they can't see water behind them at first, but they are caught up by the flood in an instant, and then the water depth is knee-deep in an instant. It is like the Qianjiang spring tide, which destroys dikes, houses and places wherever it goes. Many mountainous areas will also cause geological disasters such as mudslides and landslides, and the cruel scenes of flash floods even exceed heavy rains.

Due to the extraordinary storm surge, the disaster situation is particularly serious. 4,926 people died, more than 50,000 people were injured, the flood area was 7.35 million mu, 850,000 houses were destroyed, 27,000 water conservancy facilities were destroyed, more than 500 bridges were destroyed 1.500, roads were destroyed by 39%, more than 3,500 ships were sunk, livestock died 1 10,000, and more than 30,000 trees were broken in Hangzhou Scenic Area.

The forecast and early warning of Typhoon 56 12 was accurate and timely, which greatly reduced the losses and received good social and economic benefits. Commended by the State Council, he sent letters on June 23rd 1956 and 10 "Explanation on Rewarding Excellent Typhoon Forecasters in Early August".

Since the forecast is correct and timely, why will it suffer heavy losses? Apart from the irresistible factors, the main reason is the lack of understanding of the tsunami caused by the typhoon, emphasizing that the military and civilians insisted on "resisting Taiwan" on the seawall and were swept away by the huge waves. This is a bloody lesson.

In the past 60 years, why did the giant super typhoon appear in Zhejiang instead of Fujian and Guangdong, which were repeatedly affected by typhoons? This is because the source of typhoons landing in Guangdong is mostly in the South China Sea, which is less than 1000 km wide from east to west, so it is difficult to form a giant typhoon with a diameter of 2000 km. In addition, Guangdong has a low latitude and is close to the typhoon source in the South China Sea. Before it is fully developed and strengthened, its landing will be weakened. The typhoons that landed in Zhejiang all came from the Pacific Ocean, where there was enough space to form giant typhoons. The latitude of Zhejiang is a little north, and most of the typhoons that moved here have fully developed. In particular, there is no barrier to the vast ocean east of Zhejiang, unlike Fujian, which was weakened by Taiwan Province Province in the east, so the giant super typhoon did not appear in Fujian, Guangdong, but in Zhejiang.

56 12 Combined with typhoons that landed in Zhejiang in recent 60 years, what beneficial experiences and inspirations can we get?

1. Orderly organizing the safe transfer of personnel is an effective measure to reduce casualties. By comparing 56 12 with several super typhoons that hit Zhejiang last year, why were there so few casualties last year? In addition to the accurate forecast by the meteorological department, it is related to the effective leadership and proper measures of the provincial party Committee, the provincial defense index and relevant departments at all levels, and the orderly transfer of the masses in advance. For example, last year's 05 15 Kanu super typhoon, the wind 17, only1050,000 people died under such a super typhoon. Similarly, the 0509 Mai Sha 15 strong typhoon moved1240,000 people last year, and only four people died. Compared with the most developed country in the world, Hurricane Katrina last year made New Orleans panic when it landed. Before the hurricane hit, it failed to move in an organized way. As a result, more than 0/000 people died/kloc. It seems that Zhejiang's anti-Taiwan level and organizational ability far exceed that of the most advanced United States, which is a miracle created by our "people-oriented" policy.

2. With global warming, the frequency of strong typhoon and super typhoon increases. Zhejiang is a province where giant and super typhoons appear, and disaster prevention should focus on preventing catastrophes. It seems that the once-in-a-century situation should be considered in the construction and long-term planning of agriculture, rural areas and farmers. With the continuous growth of our province's economy, it should be possible to carry out high-standard disaster prevention construction, and the sources of funds can be raised from various channels to gradually turn fragile facilities into projects that can stand the test of severe disasters once in a hundred years. The site selection of houses, factories, school buildings, warehouses and large-scale activity places should avoid places susceptible to tides, mountain torrents and mudslides, and all kinds of buildings should be able to withstand strong winds and lightning storms.

Typhoon, tsunami and astronomical tide are the biggest killers causing casualties. The 56 12 tsunami killed 3084 people, leaving an indelible impression on people. The most important indicator that can produce a tsunami is the central air pressure. When the lowest air pressure in the center is lower than 930 hectopascals, a devastating tsunami is bound to occur. We must organize the masses to move as soon as possible in advance. The destructive power of tsunami mainly has three factors, one is the overflow of tidal waves, the other is the violent impact of tidal waves on dams and ponds of buildings, and the third is the erosion of the coast.

If a typhoon strikes around the third or eighteenth day of the lunar calendar, it is in the astronomical tide. Even if it is not a super typhoon, the central pressure will not be so low as to form a tsunami. However, due to the combined action of wind, rain and tide, it will also cause serious disasters. For example, when Typhoon 94 17 landed in Rui 'an, it happened on the fifth day of the lunar calendar, and storm surge, seawater intrusion and seawall burst, resulting in 65,438+. Although the intensity of astronomical tide is not as high as that of the tsunami, the damage caused cannot be underestimated.

4. Pay attention to the superimposed disasters caused by continuous typhoons. In view of the increasingly frequent typhoon activities, we should pay attention to the "chain typhoon" attack, that is, two or more typhoons attack the same area in a short period of time, resulting in superimposed disasters. In the later period, typhoons can cause great disasters even if their intensity is not large, such as 18. From August 20 to September 8, 90 12 and 9065438+ appeared continuously.

5. Not only typhoons like 56 12 will cause geological disasters such as mountain torrents and mudslides, but also ordinary rainstorms will cause geological disasters every year, especially in the mountainous areas with "seven mountains, one water and two fields" in Zhejiang Province. Preventing mountain torrents and mitigating geological disasters are important issues in rural construction. At present, it is necessary to further emphasize afforestation, closing hillsides to facilitate afforestation, protecting forests and stopping deforestation; Constantly publicize the important role of forests in restraining mountain torrents, alleviating geological disasters and improving local climate. Although the forest replenishment rate in our province is very high, it is very unfavorable for many places to cut down for immediate local interests to reduce mountain torrents and geological disasters, which should be highly valued.

During the 6.56 12 typhoon, there were "four breaks" in various places. The so-called "four cuts" refers to the suspension of water, electricity, traffic and communication. When the typhoon warning issued by the meteorological department has a serious impact on the local area, preventive measures should be taken in all aspects. In order to avoid the life difficulties caused by the "four breaks", it is best for every household to prepare an "emergency kit", which should contain flashlights, candles, cold boiled water or pure water, dry food for three days and commonly used medicines. It is best for everyone to have a bag, so that in the event of an accident or flood, they can maintain their lives and wait for rescue.

7. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Through every disaster prevention and relief work, many good deeds can emerge. Heroes, model figures and outstanding party member cadres have greatly strengthened the relationship between the party and the masses, the relationship between cadres and the masses, and the relationship between the army and the people from the disaster relief experience of 56 12. In particular, the three armed forces stationed in Zhejiang have made outstanding contributions to disaster prevention and relief. In the future, we should also seize some touching stories and publicize them vigorously through the media, which will undoubtedly enhance the party's cohesion and centripetal force. Especially after the disaster, leading cadres at all levels went deep into the disaster area to express their condolences, help, resettle the victims, deal with the aftermath and guide the resumption of production, so that the masses can truly feel the concern of the party and the government. Thank you sincerely.

After August, 56 12, popular science propaganda work was vigorously carried out in rural areas and achieved good results. Because the correct weather forecast has left a deep impression on the masses, they can easily accept scientific knowledge ideologically. At present, feudal superstition is on the rise in many rural areas. It is necessary to carry out a series of popular science work in a planned, organized and supported by human and financial resources in combination with the propaganda of the concept of "respecting science and being ashamed of ignorance".

Qin Dahe, director of China Meteorological Bureau, published an important article "Constantly Creating a New Situation in Meteorological Science Popularization" in China Meteorological News the year before last, pointing out that ". . . Weather is an eternal topic, and weather forecast and early warning is directly related to the production and life of the broad masses of people. With the development of the times and the arrival of information technology, meteorological science popularization should constantly update its contents and improve the public's ability to apply meteorological information. . . . . "He also said," To keep pace with the times, meteorological science popularization must establish the concept of great science popularization, not only vigorously publicize and popularize meteorological knowledge, popularize knowledge about climate and climate change, but also improve people's ability to use meteorological resources and defend against meteorological disasters, help people understand that nature tends to avoid harm and promote the harmonious development between man and nature. How to implement these guidelines? It is suggested that the Science Popularization Committee of the Chinese Meteorological Society hold a national meteorological science popularization work conference regularly. On the one hand, we should study the opinions of director Qin, and at the same time, we should study how to concentrate superior forces to do a good job in popular science. The weather and climate in the north and south are different, including cold wave sandstorm in the north and typhoon rainstorm in the south. It is necessary to put forward some popular science contents, including climate change, disaster ecology, disaster avoidance and other topics, and work together to make something colorful, scientific and interesting. Reward outstanding popular science works, popular science workers and relevant units.

Meteorological Knowledge has been loved and praised by all walks of life and the masses. In the future, we should better enrich and make use of this meteorological science popularization position.

Popular science activities should not only attract more grass-roots scientific and technological workers, but also invite more experts and academicians to participate, so as to improve the quality of meteorological popular science work.

Finally, please remember a famous saying: When people forget it, it will come to you. (Zhejiang Meteorological Bureau Zhu)