Responding to thunderstorms in mountainous areas.
(Baonghean) - Recently, thunderstorms and tornadoes have frequently occurred in the mountainous areas of western Nghe An province. In particular, a storm in Que Phong district lasted for three consecutive days in early May, causing significant damage to the local population. Similarly, on the afternoon of May 31st, a tornado struck Duc Son commune (Anh Son district), destroying a newly built primary school worth nearly 4 billion VND; and on June 1st, another tornado struck Que Son and Tien Phong communes (Que Phong district), causing nearly 100 houses to collapse or have their roofs blown off...
Investigations at several locations in the high mountainous regions, inhabited by ethnic minorities, revealed that many locals reported that tornadoes occur whenever the weather changes. Recently, the intensity of the wind and the extent of damage caused by tornadoes have increased. In some areas, tornadoes occur frequently and cause significant damage; people can almost "sense" the impending storms, but they don't know how to avoid them.
One of the long-standing characteristics of the Thai and Khmu ethnic groups is their preference for building houses in foothill areas near rivers and streams. This construction method allows them to easily access water for daily life and livestock farming, and also protects them from strong winds and storms. However, recently, due to the effects of climate change and weather patterns, some Thai ethnic communities, living too close to streams, especially in areas prone to flash floods, landslides, and mudslides, have had to relocate to higher ground. Nevertheless, during the construction of these relocation or resettlement areas, particularly for hydroelectric projects in mountainous regions, whether due to a lack of consultation and feedback from local authorities or a failure of investors to consider this, new houses are often built at excessively high altitudes, even on hilltops, posing a significant risk of severe damage during tornadoes. Regarding this issue, a leader from Que Phong district acknowledged: The Thai people usually live in stilt houses, so building houses on high hills in areas frequently affected by tornadoes is clearly not advisable, if not taboo. During the resettlement project planning process, the choice of location is mainly made by the investor, partly because the district's role and influence are not strong enough. Therefore, in reality, whenever tornadoes occur, these areas suffer the most damage...
Therefore, to proactively respond to climate change and extreme weather events in the mountainous areas of our province, on the one hand, localities need to guide the people on preventive measures to minimize the risk of damage; on the other hand, when arranging concentrated residential areas, attention should be paid to learning from and referencing the experience of local people in organizing their settlements; if necessary, consult with local managers and experienced individuals to select locations that avoid landslide-prone areas and areas prone to tornadoes. In addition, meteorological and hydrological agencies need to compile statistics and assessments on the impact of hydroelectric reservoir areas on weather and climate to provide general recommendations for building safe tornado-resistant residential areas in the future. Another point is that tornadoes are extreme weather events, but the fact that areas with hydroelectric reservoirs experience frequent tornadoes, unlike in the past, requires further surveys and research by specialized agencies...
Ha Phuong
