Urgent response needed to Typhoon No. 3, which is forecast to be very strong.
Typhoon No. 3 is a strong storm, with a very high probability of directly affecting the sea and land areas of Northern and North Central Vietnam. Ensuring the safety of people's lives and property is the top priority...
Given the alarming developments of Typhoon No. 3, on the afternoon of September 4th in Hanoi, under the chairmanship of Minister Le Minh Hoan, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held an online meeting with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities on typhoon response efforts.
Nghe An province participated in the online meeting, chaired by Mr. Nguyen Van De, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.
The storm is forecast to be very strong.
On September 3rd, Typhoon Yagi entered the northeastern waters of the South China Sea, becoming the third typhoon of 2024.
At 13:00 on September 4th, the center of Typhoon No. 3 was located at approximately 19.1 degrees North latitude and 117.5 degrees East longitude, in the eastern part of the North East Sea, about 710km east of Hainan Island (China).
The strongest winds near the center of Typhoon No. 3 reached level 12 (118-133 km/h), with gusts up to level 15, moving in a west-northwest direction at a speed of 5-10 km/h.
Forecasts indicate that Typhoon No. 3 will continue to strengthen, with maximum wind speeds at sea potentially reaching level 13, gusting to level 16 in the coming days. It is moving rapidly towards Hainan Island (China) and the Gulf of Tonkin, with a very high probability of directly affecting the sea and land areas of Northern and North Central Vietnam.
This storm is predicted to be very strong. To proactively respond to the storm and the resulting floods, the Government has requested relevant sectors and localities in the affected areas to closely monitor forecast information and the development of the storm, rain, and floods. They should promptly direct and implement response measures according to the "four on-the-spot" principle, within their assigned tasks and authority, avoiding passivity and surprises to ensure the safety of lives and minimize property damage for the people. Based on the actual situation and the potential impact of the storm and floods in the locality, they should proactively provide timely information, guidance, and instructions to the people on how to respond to the storm and floods.
Concluding the meeting after hearing reports on the implementation of storm response measures by various sectors and localities, Minister Le Minh Hoan, emphasizing that ensuring the safety of people's lives and property is the top priority, requested localities to closely monitor the storm and flood situation, proactively coordinate to ensure the safety of dikes, dams, and reservoirs, and protect agricultural production and aquaculture and fisheries.
If necessary, issue a ban on sea travel and activities involving large gatherings to ensure safety. Strengthen communication and disseminate information on response measures to the public; ensure timely information exchange and coordination among ministries, sectors, and localities in storm prevention and control.
Local authorities are urged to be highly proactive, developing contingency plans to deal with specific situations, especially emergencies, in order to minimize risks to people's lives and property, and to protect transportation and irrigation infrastructure. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as the standing agency, will report and propose to the Prime Minister on issues beyond its authority and deploy support forces when necessary.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan
Ensuring the safety of people, infrastructure, and agricultural production.
According to a report from the Provincial Border Guard Command: Nghe An province has 2,833 vessels/13,638 laborers directly involved in seafood fishing. As of 10:00 AM on September 4th: The number of vessels anchored at ports is 1,926 vessels/8,573 laborers; 907 vessels/5,065 laborers are operating at sea.
Specifically, 135 vessels/523 workers were operating in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands; 459 vessels/3,377 workers in the Gulf of Tonkin; 296 vessels/1,025 workers along the coast of Nghe An province; and 17 vessels/140 workers outside the province. No fishing vessels were operating in dangerous areas, and no contact was lost with any fishing vessels. All vessels operating at sea received notification of the storm's location and direction of movement.
Nghe An province has over 1,061 reservoirs and dams of various sizes. Currently, 57 reservoirs are full, 322 reservoirs have water levels above 70%, and 527 reservoirs have capacities ranging from 40-70%. Large reservoirs managed by irrigation companies have undergone inspection and trial operation, and are ready for operation according to the procedures approved by the Provincial People's Committee. There are 22 hydropower reservoirs currently in operation, of which 8 are operating according to the Inter-Reservoir Operation Procedure on the Ca River basin, including: Ban Ve, Khe Bo, Chi Khe, Nam Non, Nam Mo, Ban Ang, Nhan Hac A, Chau Thang, Song Quang, and Khe Thoi.
To date, the province has harvested 38,887 hectares out of a total of 76,481 hectares of summer-autumn rice. Local authorities are currently urgently harvesting with the motto "better to harvest while the rice is still green than to let it ripen too much in the field"; more than 5,000 hectares of winter crops have been planted. The total area for aquaculture is 20,298 hectares, with 4,040 cages, rafts, and platforms. The Provincial People's Committee has directed that absolutely no one should be allowed to stay on cages and rafts during storms and floods.
Notably, in recent times, the province has experienced localized heavy rainfall in some mountainous districts. Therefore, if heavy rain continues, the risk of landslides in mountainous, hilly, and downstream areas of reservoirs and dams is very high; currently, localities have developed response scenarios. Nghe An has developed five scenarios for evacuating coastal residents to avoid storm surges. Depending on the storm intensity, localities will organize evacuations according to the scenarios.
To proactively respond, Nghe An province has directed relevant departments and localities to closely monitor forecast information and developments regarding storms, rain, and floods, and to promptly direct and implement response measures according to the "four on-the-spot" principle, within their assigned tasks and authority, avoiding passivity and surprises to ensure the safety of lives and minimize property damage for the people.
