After the Shock of an Earthquake, Thousands Now Huddle in Fear of a Flood.

It is a simple strand of red plastic hanging between two trees, but for residents of this battered town, it is the line between life and potential death. On one side are 11,000 residents who have been huddling under plastic sheets since the May 12 earthquake devastated northern Sichuan Province. On the other is a lush plain of farmland and homes that government officials say will be washed away should a swollen reservoir of trapped river water break through the wall of rock, dirt and trees that holds it in place. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]