Nghe An issues official dispatch to respond to cold air, severe cold, severe cold, Northeast monsoon

The content of the dispatch clearly stated that, according to information from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, from January 7 to 12, 2021, a cold spell affected the Northern and Central provinces. In the North and provinces from Thanh Hoa to Ha Tinh, there was severe cold. In the Gulf of Tonkin, there was strong northeast wind at level 7, gusting to level 9. The sea was rough, with waves 3-5m high; in the North and Central East Sea, the wind was level 7, level 8, gusting to level 10, the sea was rough, with waves 5-7m high.

Batchessevere coldStrong winds at sea will continue to occur from now until February 2021 and are likely to last from 7-10 days; temperatures will drop sharply, causing frost and snow in mountainous areas; strong winds at sea combined with high tides will continue to cause landslides in coastal provinces.

To cope with the cold, many places in Nghe An people have contributed firewood to keep warm. Photo: Huy Thu

To proactively deploy effective preventive measures against the above natural disaster developments, the Standing Office of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue requests the Chairman and Head of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of districts, cities and towns; the Provincial Military Command; the Provincial Border Guard Command and related units to implement the following contents:

+ Strictly implement the content of Official Dispatch No. 01/TWPCTT dated January 5, 2021 of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on responding to cold air, severe cold, damaging cold, Northeast monsoon and coastal landslides;

+ Coastal districts and towns:

- Closely monitor the development of strong winds at sea, notify and guide captains and owners of ships and boats to proactively prevent and have appropriate production plans, ensuring safety and efficiency for people and ships;

- Maintain regular communication with vehicle owners and ship captains; prepare rescue forces and equipment to promptly handle any bad situations that may arise;

- Organize inspections and implement measures to ensure safety for residential areas and coastal works.

+ Mountainous and plain districts:

- Regularly update weather conditions, developments of cold air, severe cold, and severe cold; increase the time of broadcasting information on mass media, especially information and communication at the grassroots level so that authorities at all levels and people, especially in mountainous areas, know and proactively prevent;

- Focus on directing the implementation of measures to ensure safety for the elderly, young children, students, especially boarding schools such as: Limiting outdoor activities in cold weather, wearing enough warm clothes, not using coal stoves to heat up in closed rooms, covering,keep pets warm, crops, and aquaculture to minimize production losses, focusing on large livestock herds and concentrated livestock farms in particularly difficult areas, remote areas;

People in the highlands of Nghe An have to cover their cows with blankets to keep them warm. Photo courtesy of Dinh Tuan

- Establish working groups with the participation of specialized agencies to inspect and urge the work of preventing and combating cold for people, livestock and crops, and guide the application of technical measures combined with traditional experiences of local people;

- Proactively arrange local budgets, natural disaster prevention and control funds and on-site resources to promptly serve prevention and control work; deploy shock forces at the grassroots level, support materials and funds to help people, especially policy families, ethnic minority households and poor households, implement measures to ensure safety and minimize damage such as: reinforcing and covering barns; moving and gathering large herds of free-range livestock to places to avoid the cold; preparing and storing food and vaccines to prevent diseases.

+ The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development directs and guides localities on the implementation of cold and disease prevention for livestock, aquatic products and crops; develops and adjusts production plans and crop structures suitable to weather conditions and developments.

+ Department of Natural Resources and Environment directs the provision of forecast bulletins to serve the direction and response work.

+ Provincial Radio and Television Station, Nghe An Newspaper, Ben Thuy Coastal Information Station regularly update information and developments of severe cold, landslides, strong winds, and big waves at sea on mass media so that people know and proactively prevent.

+ Organize on-duty shifts, regularly update information and report to the Standing Office of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue./.