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The Islands District Office has activated an emergency command centre in Tai O to assist residents after the Drainage Services Department issued a real time flood alert especially designed for Tai O residents.
Jointly set up by the Islands District Office, the Police, the Fire Services Department (FSD) and other concerned departments at the Tai O Rural Committee office, the emergency command centre will co-ordinate any evacuation, rescue and emergency relief efforts for Tai O.
The Police, FSD, Civil Aid Services, social workers and village representatives, since receiving the real time flood alert, have been persuading residents in the low-lying areas to move and helping evacuate them, if required, to temporary shelters or safer locations.
Two temporary shelters, one in the Tai O Rural Committee office and one in the former Wing Chor Primary School, have been set up for residents in need of temporary accommodation.
Under a flood alerting system for Tai O, the evacuation and rescue plan is triggered when the actual seawater level in Tai O reaches 3.0 mCD (the level at which seawater begins to flow back and cause flooding in the low-lying areas in Tai O). The Drainage Services Department issued the real time flood alert via telephone messages to all departments/parties and village representatives concerned.
The Command Centre will continue to monitor the situation and co-ordinate with other departments to provide assistance for residents.
Ends/Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Issued at HKT 03:11
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