“The Water Came in the Night”: A Wake-Up Call from China and Thailand’s Flooded Frontlines
- tonytangebirah
- Jun 27, 2025
- 4 min read
In the still of the night on June 24, the people of Rongjiang and Congjiang counties in Guizhou Province, China, awoke to a nightmare. Torrents of water surged through the streets, drowning homes, disabling power lines, and washing away livelihoods. What started as intense rainfall quickly escalated into massive flooding, overwhelming urban infrastructure and bursting riverbanks.
By June 27, the destruction had cascaded downstream into Guangxi, where entire rural settlements along the Liu River were engulfed. The Liu River, which originates in Guizhou and winds through southern China into Vietnam, became a deadly conduit.
Meanwhile, across the border, Thailand’s Chiang Rai province grappled with its own emergency. Overnight rainfall on June 26 led to flash floods that triggered mass evacuations and wiped out thousands of rai of agricultural land—severely damaging the backbone of rural economies.
For many families, there was no warning. No time to evacuate. No chance to protect their homes or save their crops.
“We were asleep when the water came,” one survivor in Chiang Rai told local media. “By the time we woke up, it was too late.”
This is not an isolated incident. It's part of a pattern, a warning from nature—one we can no longer afford to ignore.
Disasters Are Getting Deadlier—But They Don’t Have To Be
According to the United Nations, disasters—especially floods, droughts, and storms—caused 2.4 million deaths and US$4.3 trillion in economic losses between 1970 and 2021.
Yet, research from the World Meteorological Organization shows that a 24-hour advance warning before an extreme weather event can cut resulting damage by up to 30%. That’s the difference between survival and tragedy, between recovery and ruin.
But here’s the problem: 50% of countries around the world still lack early warning systems (EWS). Ironically, many of these are the very countries most vulnerable to disasters.
Recognizing this, UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched the “Early Warnings for All” initiative, calling for universal early warning coverage by 2027:
“People need adequate warning to prepare for extreme weather events. That is why I’m calling for universal early warning coverage in the next five years.”
The science is clear: multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) don’t just alert communities—they give governments, responders, and families time to prepare, evacuate, and protect property. They turn data into action.
The Right Tools in the Right Hands: Gebirah’s "Get Going" Early Warning App
At Gebirah, a Singapore-based humanitarian organisation, we asked ourselves: What if vulnerable communities didn’t have to wait five more years? What if we could act now?
That question led to a powerful collaboration with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)—resulting in the development of “Get Going,” a prototype Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) designed especially for underserved regions.
“Get Going” is not just another app—it’s a life-saving tool tailored to the realities of people on the margins. Here's what sets it apart:
🔍 Precision + Foresight: The app uses advanced AI-driven forecasting, satellite data, and real-time monitoring of rivers, rainfall, wind, and temperature trends to anticipate threats.
🌏 Multilingual & Inclusive: Supports multiple languages, ensuring accessibility for indigenous and migrant communities.
📡 Built for Connectivity Gaps: Functions with low-data and intermittent network access, reaching people in the remotest locations.
🧭 Community-Centered: Interfaces are designed for easy interpretation by non-experts—farmers, fishermen, village leaders—so they can make the right decisions fast.
🔗 Cross-Border Coordination: Promotes regional data sharing and situational awareness across geographic boundaries, from Guizhou to Chiang Rai to coastal ASEAN.
We deeply appreciate the dedicated interdisciplinary team of engineers and community partners who helped bring this prototype to life. Their hard work, guided by empathy and innovation, has laid the groundwork for a tool that could save thousands of lives in the years ahead.
A Proven Lifesaver
A 2023 study by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) found that floods affected more people globally than any other natural disaster, accounting for over 45% of weather-related events. What’s worse: floods are becoming more frequent and unpredictable due to climate change.
“Get Going” was built with this very reality in mind—capable of tracking downstream movement of water, alerting communities hours or even days ahead. In scenarios like the Liu River floods, this foresight could mean saving families from entrapment and loss of life.
A Call for Preparedness: Partner With Us
We are entering a climate era where preparedness is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Early warning systems must become as widespread as the disasters themselves. But systems are only effective if they are embedded in local preparedness, regional partnerships, and global commitment.
At Gebirah, we’re committed to scaling "Get Going" into a full-fledged solution that can support governments, humanitarian agencies, and communities worldwide. If you are interested in using or supporting this app to protect your own communities or others, we invite you to reach out and join us in building a more resilient future for all.
The cost of inaction is too high. The time to act is now.
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