Prime Minister chairs conference on overcoming consequences of storm No. 3
On the morning of September 8, at the Government headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a conference to assess the response work, damage situation and deploy urgent measures to overcome the consequences of storm No. 3.
The conference was connected online from the Government headquarters to 26 localities from Thanh Hoa to the north. Also attending were Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc, leaders of ministries, branches, central agencies; Secretaries and Chairmen of People's Committees of 26 provinces and cities from Thanh Hoa to the north.
In his opening remarks at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that storm No. 3 has been raging on land for more than a day, causing serious consequences. The storm's circulation will continue to cause floods, especially in the northern mountainous provinces.
This conference aims to assess the situation, forecasting work, propaganda and mobilization work, providing information to people, implementing "4 on-the-spot"; response work at both central and local levels; assess consequences, analyze and share lessons learned; measures to overcome consequences in the shortest possible time and long-term, strategic measures.
The Prime Minister requested that it is necessary to immediately review and support damaged localities and families with deceased people. At this time, people are suffering losses, so it is necessary to discuss with a spirit of urgency; continue to immediately implement storm recovery work; promptly handle issues related to people's lives, production, business, and response to landslides and subsidence.
The storm also affected the electricity and telecommunications systems. The Prime Minister directed network operators to share network connections to ensure telecommunications waves for command and disaster recovery work.
According to the report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, storm No. 3 (international name Yagi) is a very special storm, formed east of the Philippines but strengthened into a super typhoon in the East Sea and is the strongest storm in the East Sea in the past 30 years. The strongest wind near the storm center is level 16, gusting over level 17; when making landfall in Quang Ninh - Hai Phong, the strongest wind is level 13-14, gusting to level 16-17.
Storm No. 3 and its circulation have a wide range of influence from the Northern region to Thanh Hoa (26 provinces and cities); the storm causes heavy rain in the Northern region, especially the northern mountainous region which has suffered very heavy losses due to consecutive floods, flash floods, and landslides in July-August 2024.
In response, the Prime Minister paid special attention and consecutively issued three urgent dispatches to direct ministries, branches, and localities to urgently and focused on implementing measures to respond to the storm.
Forces and localities have thoroughly grasped and seriously implemented the three directives of the Prime Minister, completing a huge amount of work before the storm made landfall.
Specifically, counting and guiding 51,319 fishing boats/219,913 people to shelters. Organizing the evacuation of 52,979 people on rafts, aquaculture watchtowers, and in weak houses to safe places (Quang Ninh: 3,460 people; Hai Phong: 23,581 people; Thai Binh: 21,510 people; Nam Dinh: 1,743 people, Ninh Binh: 2,685 people).
Mobilizing 438,275 people and 6,642 vehicles of all kinds to respond to the storm, assigning forces to be on duty at key locations.
Regarding initial damage (updated to 7:00 a.m. on September 8, 2024), due to darkness, big waves, strong winds, power outages, and communication loss, localities have not been able to make accurate statistics.
In the immediate future, some initial damages include 05 deaths (Quang Ninh 3, Hai Phong 1, Hai Duong 1); 186 injured (Quang Ninh 157, Hai Phong 13, Hai Duong 5, Hanoi 10); 25 small cement and wooden ships sank at anchorage in Quang Ninh; Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Hai Duong, Hanoi suffered widespread power and communication outages,
Due to the long duration of the storm and the sustained intensity of the storm, very strong gusts of wind damaged 3,279 houses; 401 electric poles fell; many shops, offices, and schools had their roofs blown off or damaged; many advertising signs and telecommunication poles fell; and urban trees were uprooted and broken.
Regarding agriculture, 121,500 hectares of rice and crops were flooded and damaged (concentrated in Thai Binh: 76,345 hectares; Hai Phong: 6,750 hectares; Hai Duong 11,200 hectares; Bac Ninh: 11,009 hectares; Hanoi: 6,218 hectares; Nam Dinh: 2,800 hectares; Hung Yen: 11,923 hectares; Ha Nam: 7,418 hectares...); 5,027 hectares of fruit trees were damaged (concentrated in Hai Phong: 1,000 hectares; Thai Binh: 1,385 hectares, Hung Yen 1,818 hectares,...); over 1,000 aquaculture cages were damaged and swept away (mainly in Quang Ninh).
At around 0:05 a.m. on September 8, in Xom Cham, Tan Minh commune, Da Bac district, Hoa Binh province, a landslide occurred in a household, killing 4 people and injuring 1.
Circulation after storm No. 3 will cause heavy rain
Regarding the characteristics of storm No. 3, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment assessed that this is a storm with a rapid increase in intensity (in 24 hours the storm intensity increased by 8 levels) and maintained the super storm level for a long time. When it landed in the east of Hainan Island (China), it still maintained the super storm intensity. It is the strongest storm in the past 30 years in the East Sea region.
The level of degradation on the way does not follow the usual rules. Normally, when passing Hainan Island (China) into the Gulf of Tonkin, storms often weaken quickly, but with storm No. 3, the intensity did not decrease quickly, when approaching the coast of Quang Ninh - Hai Phong, it still maintained the intensity of level 12-13.
The duration of the storm on land is prolonged (12 hours). At 4am this morning (September 8), storm No. 3 weakened into a tropical depression in the Northwest region. It is forecasted that in the next 12-24 hours, the tropical depression will weaken into a low pressure area and gradually dissipate.
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting's forecast on the intensity and direction of storm No. 3 is close to the actual direction and intensity of the storm in the Gulf of Tonkin as well as when it makes landfall, and is similar to the forecasts of international forecasting agencies.
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicts that from September 8 to 9, 2024, the circulation after storm No. 3 will cause heavy rain for the entire plains, midlands and mountainous areas in the north, with an average 24-hour rainfall of up to 100-150 mm, and in some places over 200 mm.
High risk of flooding on rivers and streams and flash floods and landslides in some localities, in which special attention should be paid:
(1) Small rivers in Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, and Hoa Binh may see floods reaching alert levels 2 to 3.
(2) High risk of flooding in urban areas, cities and provinces in the Northern Delta region due to heavy rain, especially in the provinces of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Yen Bai, Bac Kan, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, and Hanoi.
(3) High risk of flash floods, landslides in the following provinces: Quang Ninh (12 districts/towns), Lang Son (11 districts), Bac Kan (6 districts), Thai Nguyen (9 districts), Bac Giang (8 districts), Vinh Phuc (5 districts), Hoa Binh (11 districts), Phu Tho (9 districts), Tuyen Quang (6 districts), Yen Bai (9 districts), Son La (8 districts), Lai Chau (3 districts), Lao Cai (4 districts), Thanh Hoa (10 districts).
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting and forecasting units in provinces and centrally run cities will continue to closely monitor the developments of rain and floods in the above areas and provide detailed and timely information to the central and local disaster prevention agencies to have timely and effective direction, management and response measures.
In his directive speech, the Prime Minister stated five upcoming goals including:
Firstly, we must focus on rescuing people, checking and searching for missing people; treating the injured, especially the seriously injured; and arranging funerals for the unfortunate.
Second, no one is left without food, clothing, shelter, or support; no students are left without classes or schools; no sick people are left without medical treatment.
Third is to fix problems in electricity, water, telecommunications and other fields to serve leadership, direction, production, business and people's lives.
Fourth is to accurately and objectively calculate damage to have appropriate, effective and timely solutions.
The fifth is to respond to the consequences of storm circulation such as flash floods, landslides, subsidence, etc.
Regarding the solution,The Prime Minister requested Party committees and authorities at all levels, relevant ministries and branches to proactively and actively carry out tasks to overcome storm consequences according to their assigned functions, tasks and powers; the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Information and Communications, Transport, Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment, Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs strictly perform state management tasks according to their authority (regarding instructions, regulations, standards, norms, etc.). If beyond their authority, they must report to competent authorities for consideration and decision.
The Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, and rescue forces continue to be on duty to promptly respond to, overcome consequences, and cope with natural disasters. Relevant agencies continue to maintain forecasting and communication work; pay attention to information and instructions on disaster response skills.
Local authorities, ministries and branches, according to their authority, use reserves for natural disaster prevention (in terms of finance, means, materials, etc.) to restore normal operations.
Localities are required to allocate reserves to address urgent issues regarding food, clothing, housing, education, and medical treatment for the people and to propose support from the Central Government from the reserve budget. The Prime Minister assigned Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc to preside over the handling and decision. This must be done immediately, completed before 6 p.m. today, and then supplemented if necessary.
"In particular, localities must immediately compile statistics and immediately issue reserve rice, as much as needed. It is important to compile accurate and transparent statistics to avoid negative incidents," the Prime Minister emphasized. Along with that, focus on repairing schools and classrooms.
In particular, the Prime Minister called on people, businesses, agencies, localities, and enterprises that did not suffer damage to support people, businesses, agencies, localities, and enterprises that suffered damage, "those who have little contribute little, those who have much contribute much, those who have contributed contribute, the whole leaves cover the torn leaves, the torn leaves cover the more torn leaves", promoting the tradition of mutual love and affection of our nation.
The Prime Minister pointed out a number of important lessons: Leaders and directors, especially local secretaries and chairmen, must closely follow the situation, be resolute, decisive, and have a focus; ministries, branches, localities, agencies, and units, based on their functions, tasks, and powers, must strictly comply with the direction of competent authorities, be proactive, positive, and creative in preventing natural disasters and overcoming consequences; thoroughly mobilize "4 on-the-spot", conduct regular drills, closely follow the situation, prepare adequate reserves; do a good job of communication and commendation, reward, discipline, and handle promptly.