Nghe An will ban the sea from 0:00 on October 10 to cope with storm No. 7

The Hanoi bridge was chaired by Comrade Le Minh Hoan - Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. Also attending were representatives of relevant ministries, branches and localities affected by storm No. 7.

Chairing the Nghe An bridge was comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee. Also attending were representatives of departments and branches who are members of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Control and Search and Rescue.

Representatives of the National Department of Natural Disasters and Search and Rescue update the latest information on the direction of storm No. 7 and forecast of rainfall after the storm. Photo: Nguyen Hai

At the beginning of the meeting, representatives of the General Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control updated the latest information onstorm number 7Accordingly, storm No. 7 is currently at 19.7 degrees North latitude, 109.8 degrees East longitude in the Hainan Island area (China); the strongest wind near the storm center is level 8, gusting to level 10; the radius of strong winds from level 6, gusting to level 8 is about 120 km. It is expected that from October 10, the storm will change direction and move in a West-Southwest direction and will weaken into a tropical depression and directly affect the coastal provinces of the Southern Delta and North Central regions. Due to the influence of the storm combined with cold air, there is a risk of heavy rain causing very heavy rain.

In addition to storm number 7, there is currently a new storm forming in the Philippine Sea and is expected to enter the East Sea on October 13 and will likely become storm number 8, so localities need to monitor it.

Representatives of departments and branches who are members of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Rescue of Nghe An province participated in the online meeting. Photo: Nguyen Hai

According to the weather forecast of the North Central Hydrometeorological Station, in the coming days, due to the influence of storm No. 7 circulation, combined with cold air strengthening in the high altitude, subtropical high pressure encroaching to the West, Nghe An province will experience heavy to very heavy rain and thunderstorms from October 10 to 12. Rainfall in coastal and midland districts is likely to reach 150-250 mm; mountainous districts are likely to reach 80-150 mm. There is a high risk of flash floods, landslides in mountainous areas and flooding in low-lying areas and riverside areas.

Quynh Luu fishermen anchor their boats to take shelter from the storm. Photo courtesy of Thanh Yen

Toproactively respond to stormsnumber 7and rain, based on the Prime Minister's telegram, Nghe An province has issued a number of telegrams directing all levels to be ready to deploy response plans. By 1:00 p.m. on October 9, 3,275 out of a total of 3,438 vessels and 16,758 workers out of a total of 17,190 workers had returned to shelters; 163 vehicles and 432 workers were operating at sea (coastal areas); with no vehicles in the danger zone, Nghe An province will ban the sea from 0:00 on October 10, 2021.

Currently, the whole province has 18,000 hectares of aquaculture, of which 17,062 hectares are freshwater and 125.71 hectares are marine; 2,519 cages; all aquaculture households have known about storm No. 7; up to now, the province has harvested 76,000 hectares out of a total of 88,270 hectares of summer-autumn and winter-spring rice; 12,270 hectares of winter-spring rice have not been harvested.

Regarding dams, out of 1,061 large and small dams in the province, 1,031 are full, 26 are over 70% capacity, 3 are about 50-70%, and the remaining 1 is less than 50% of the design capacity. To proactively respond to rain caused by storm No. 7, large dams are directed tooverflowensure the prescribed level.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Hoang Nghia Hieu - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee reported on the safety of dams, the harvest of summer-autumn and winter-spring rice in the province, the situation of fish farming in cages and boats operating at sea. Based on the report on the Covid-19 epidemic prevention situation in the area, the province affirmed that it is always proactive in responding to natural disasters and floods. Currently, along with organizing the repatriation of thousands of people, the province is developing a plan to welcome people from the northern provinces from the South to Nghe An when the storm hits.

Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee reported on the province's preparations to respond to storm No. 7 and proposed some recommendations. Photo: Nguyen Hai

At the conference, Nghe An and some provinces proposed that the Central Government increase the time to disseminate information about storms and floods on the radio system to the people. Based on the "4 on-site" motto, the Central Government needs to have plans to enhance the ability and means of rescue at higher levels when storms and floods cause great damage; storm forecasting needs to be more accurate and updated so that localities can direct the evacuation of people.

Concluding the meeting, Mr. Le Minh Hoan - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development requested ministries, branches and localities to base on natural disaster scenarios, have solutions to direct response to minimize damage caused by rain and storm No. 7. In addition to the impact on coastal and riverside areas, review and remind people in mountainous areas at risk of landslides and flash floods. At the same time, note that localities should continue to monitor information about the next storm No. 8; in storm forecasting, it is necessary to consult international stations to have the most accurate and timely forecast information.

This afternoon, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued urgent dispatch No. 34 dated October 9, 2021 on prohibiting ships from going to sea during storm No. 7. Accordingly, to ensure the safety of fishermen and ships, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee - Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue requested the Chairman - Head of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of the districts: Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, Cua Lo town, Hoang Mai town, the Provincial Border Guard Command, the Department of Fisheries and related units to urgently implement the following contents:

1. All ships and means of transport are prohibited from going to sea from 00:00 on October 10, 2021 until the end of the storm. Ships operating at sea must return to anchor and ensure safety before 10:00 on October 10.

2. Use all means and measures to inform ships at sea about the storm's developments, guide and call on ships to return to safe shelters or escape from dangerous areas. Provide guidance on anchoring at shelters; organize the relocation and anchoring of aquaculture cages and floating houses to ensure safety.