On August 7, a commendation letter from the flood control and drought relief headquarters of Ankang City, Shaanxi Province, praised State Grid Ankang Power Supply Company for its outstanding performance in flood control and disaster relief efforts. Behind this recognition lies a grueling 96-hour battle involving 375 rescue workers who bravely faced danger, demonstrating the company's commitment to scientific command, efficient coordination, and the successful completion of emergency power restoration tasks under extreme weather conditions.
Since August, Ankang City has experienced multiple rounds of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, with flood risks along the Han River main stream continuing to rise. Localized areas recorded maximum cumulative rainfall of up to 309.7 millimeters, prompting the city to activate a Level IV flood defense emergency response. The flood situation was severe and complex, posing significant challenges to power infrastructure across the region.
On the morning of August 2, Xunyang City's Hongjun Town was the first to be hit by flooding, triggering landslides, regional waterlogging, and traffic disruptions, with some communication and power facilities damaged. By 2 PM on August 4, heavy rain struck again, and towns including Shimen, Shenhe, and Chiyan reported emergencies, with multiple 10 kV lines damaged in quick succession, making repair tasks increasingly difficult.
The hardest-hit townships during this flood event were mostly within the jurisdiction of the Shenhe Power Supply Station. Recalling the scene, station chief Li Yewang said with lingering fear: "Roads were cut off, communications were disrupted, and the rain was exceptionally heavy. For the farthest repair site, we had to walk 11 kilometers carrying repair tools and materials. We basically left before dawn and didn't return until 4 AM the next day."
In response to the danger, Ankang Power Supply Company immediately activated its flood emergency response plan. Key leaders took charge of coordination, quickly establishing a frontline rescue command center in Xunyang City. Deputy leaders directed operations on-site, scientifically allocating repair resources, and dispatching five emergency power vehicles to key areas for round-the-clock power support during the flood period. Meanwhile, inspection personnel traversed mountains and rivers, conducting point-by-point checks of lines and equipment to precisely locate faults, laying the groundwork for subsequent repairs.
Party members and cadres led from the front, stationed at rescue sites to coordinate operations. When streams surged, repair workers shouldered equipment and trekked on foot to reach fault locations as quickly as possible. When rescue vehicles encountered flat tires from gravel on the way, logistics personnel promptly handled the situation on-site. Safety supervisors closely monitored all work sites, ensuring construction safety throughout the process. Town governments, nursing homes, schools, and health centers gradually had their power restored as the company maintained a unified strategy, fully embodying the "Ankang Iron Army" spirit through a work model of zoned operations, dynamic dispatch, comprehensive patrols, and synchronized services, achieving remarkable speed in flood rescue power restoration.
Due to the heavy rainfall, multiple main roads in Chiyan Town collapsed, making it difficult to transport repair supplies. Road restoration took time, and large machinery and vehicles remained unable to pass, creating immense pressure on power services and public opinion management. Facing this challenge, the Chiyan Power Supply Station quickly formulated a plan to move service delivery forward. "We divided all station personnel into two groups: one focused on promptly inspecting potential hazards and fully supporting repair work, while the other went deep into villages to visit residents door-to-door, comforting customers, addressing their concerns, and delivering flashlights, candles, and other daily necessities. We explained the actual situation and repair progress, doing our utmost to bring reassurance to the people," station chief Guo Gang explained.
In the Longchiwan area, multiple landslides completely blocked village roads with mud and rocks. Due to the swift river currents, repair vehicles could not pass either. During their visits, a district manager learned that two elderly patients in Jinpenwan Village urgently needed power for oxygen and physical therapy equipment at home. He immediately contacted the power station to coordinate a generator for support. Guo Gang and his colleagues carried the generator along 1.2 kilometers of rugged mountain paths, stumbling for over an hour before the generator reached its destination. By then, everyone's fingers were rubbed raw, but the urgent needs of the residents had been genuinely addressed.
Raging rivers could not block the path of power restoration, and landslides could not sever the commitment to serving the people. During the flood period, Ankang Power Supply Company pushed out more than 6,000 targeted power outage explanation and reassurance messages, along with 12,000 safety reminders about electricity use during rainstorm secondary disasters, through WeChat groups, SMS, and phone calls. Ten grid coordinators were stationed at administrative villages for on-site services, and six sets of emergency power banks and other supplies were deployed to meet residents' temporary needs for phone charging and lighting. More than 3,000 households were visited in total. By leveraging the professional coordination mechanism across marketing, distribution, and public opinion, the company transformed from "passive repair" to "active service," earning recognition and approval from the Xunyang City Party Secretary for its solid and effective work.
Hongjun Village in Hongjun Town, Xunyang City, is a partner village supported by Ankang Power Supply Company and was also one of the areas severely affected by the floods. Before the main flood season arrived, visiting households, inspecting geological hazard-prone areas on-site, and planning evacuation routes were already routine tasks for Xiao Changhong, the first secretary stationed in the village. It was precisely this accumulation of daily groundwork that gave him the confidence and composure to handle the flood situation effectively.
At 8 PM on August 2, an unexpected flood warning immediately put Xiao Changhong on high alert. He quickly contacted other village cadres and posted early warning information in the WeChat group. Shortly after, the village's two emergency mutual aid teams set out along routes they had traversed countless times, rushing to geological hazard sites at top speed. Following the pre-drawn emergency evacuation route maps, they went door-to-door waking and relocating residents. "Most of the villagers are elderly people living alone, and since the evacuation notice came at night, many were asleep or hard of hearing and couldn't hear our calls. We had no choice but to climb ladders to their windows and find ways to wake them before moving them out," Xiao Changhong explained on the way from the village committee to the shelter. "For those with limited mobility, the best we could do was push them in wheelchairs; most had to be carried on our backs or supported by hand before we could get them to the shelter one by one."
Xiao Changhong's phone still holds photos of every evacuation over those days, including one capturing villagers resting under a shelter canopy in the pitch-black night. "Once the water started rising, village cadres led us to the shelter, which had drinking water, instant noodles, phone chargers, and other daily supplies ready, with duty personnel available around the clock to solve our problems. We felt very reassured," said villager Li Gongsheng. During the flood period, Xiao Changhong and other village cadres evacuated a total of 16 households and 68 people, firmly safeguarding the safety of residents' lives with the most attentive care and the strictest measures.
As of noon on August 7, all 10 kV and low-voltage lines that had failed due to the heavy rainfall had been fully restored, with final finishing work now underway in an orderly manner. State Grid Ankang Power Supply Company will closely monitor the critical flood prevention period of late July through mid-August, continue to conduct thorough reviews and inspections of damaged line and equipment hazards, and accelerate the reinforcement and rectification of grid infrastructure. The company will also closely track weather changes during the flood season, strengthen emergency duty arrangements, and spare no effort to safeguard the safe and stable operation of the Ankang power grid through more solid measures, a more reliable grid, and warmer services.