Stormy winds are making waves in the Central region, setting up a forward command post

Storm No. 11 is getting closer and closer, threatening the coastal provinces of the Central region. This morning, October 14, a Government delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai went to the Central region to inspect the response preparations of the localities.

Staff of a Resort in Hoi An reinforce the embankment against storms - Photo: Thanh Ba

Meanwhile, another delegation led by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat was also present in Thua Thien Hue to inspect the situation. In the face of the critical situation, the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue decided to establish a forward command post located at the headquarters of the Da Nang City People's Committee to promptly direct response to emergency situations.

In Da Nang City, the locality has just issued a notice allowing students to take a day off from this afternoon (October 14) and tomorrow (October 15). The Da Nang City People's Committee has just issued a document requesting all departments, agencies, and organizations to temporarily suspend unnecessary meetings to focus on directing the response and recovery from the consequences of storm No. 11.

The functional units direct the ships to anchor in accordance with the city's regulations, if necessary, organize enforcement, prepare means to carry out evacuation work, and carry out emergency tasks. When the storm "hits" the city at level 12 or higher, the City Police will temporarily stop traffic on the roads.

In Quang Nam: Up to this point, most of the hydroelectric reservoirs have been filled with water. This morning, October 14, the People's Committee of Quang Nam province held an online meeting with 18 districts and cities to deploy measures to respond to storm No. 11 that is likely to make landfall in the province.

According to the provincial Flood and Storm Prevention Command, as of 10 a.m. on October 14, Quang Nam still had 88 ships with 2,605 workers operating at sea. Border guards and local authorities continuously informed fishermen to come ashore and move to avoid storm No. 11. Currently, in the province, 32/73 irrigation reservoirs and 3 hydroelectric reservoirs, A Vuong, Dak Mi 4 and Song Bung 5, have been filled with water. Localities such as Nui Thanh, Hoi An, Thang Binh... have implemented plans to evacuate people and let students in vulnerable areas stay home from school.

The provincial flood and storm prevention command has directed that all measures be taken, resolutely calling on boats to come ashore to avoid the storm, absolutely not allowing people to stay on the boat. This work must be completed before 7:00 p.m. today. Districts and cities must organize to inform the people about the flood and storm situation so that they can proactively prevent, organize to reinforce houses, offices, public works, evacuate people in low-lying areas, riverside, coastal areas before 7:00 p.m.

The province has directed the units managing irrigation reservoirs to be on duty 24/7, checking to prevent incidents. Hydroelectric reservoirs such as A Vuong, Dak Mi 4, Song Bung 5 ... must discharge water below the flood discharge elevation.

On the same morning, the Flood and Storm Prevention Command of Duy Xuyen District also directed the Flood and Storm Prevention Command of 14 communes and towns to urgently evacuate 1,692 households with houses in low-lying areas, riverside areas, and streams at risk of landslides, and households with temporary houses with over 5,800 people to safe places. The evacuation will be completed at 8:00 p.m. tonight.

Currently, Vinh Trinh reservoir has only 0.5 meters of water left to freely discharge floodwaters. Thach Ban and Phu Loc reservoirs have also passed the spillway. Duy Xuyen irrigation branch is on duty 24/7, preparing enough spare materials with the communes in the Western region, each locality has arranged 30-50 people to respond when there is a situation. Up to now, Duy Xuyen district has gathered over 400 boats at Hong Trieu fishing port to take shelter from storm No. 11. This afternoon, all schools in the area let students off.

Meanwhile, to prepare for storm No. 11 that could make landfall, on the morning of October 14, in the coastal commune of Tam Thanh, Tam Ky City (Quang Nam), local shock troops coordinated with border guards to deploy a plan to help people bring their boats to safety. Using boulders and iron nets to reinforce vulnerable sections of the coastal road.

Learning from previous storms and floods, the local people quickly and actively helped each other to bring all 250 boats across the sea dike, tying them together with ropes. By 10am the same day, the boats of this coastal commune had basically gathered to a safe place.

In Hoi An, since the morning of October 14, hundreds of people and militia forces from communes and wards in Hoi An City have organized to build embankments along Cua Dai beach to prevent strong storm winds from collapsing the embankments. Colonel Le Ngoc Luu - Head of Hoi An City Police, said that the city police have sent forces to support people in coastal wards.

Also this morning, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung - Head of the City Flood and Storm Prevention Committee said that all 650 offshore fishing boats have safely anchored at the Bay Mau coconut forest area. In addition, fishing boats of fishermen from Tan Hiep island commune have also gathered at the fishing port since last evening.

Meanwhile, coastal resorts in Hoi An are also rushing to prepare for the storm. Hundreds of employees have been mobilized and gathered at their resorts to organize storm prevention work before the storm makes landfall. Thousands of sandbags have been gathered by staff at resorts such as Palm Garden, Cat Vang, Victoria, Sunrise, etc., and piled up before being transported to areas at risk of landslides. Along the coconut trees holding the soil behind the above tourist areas, sandbags have been arranged in rows to block the waves.

According to Tuoi Tre - TH