On September 7, storm No. 3 Yagi swept through Co To Island. Heavy rain, strong winds of level 11-12 in gusts, the wind caused many trees to fall, corrugated iron fences, and advertising signs to fly all over the streets.
The storm left heavy damage to the islanders. Daily life, business, production and tourism activities were all affected.
Mr. Hien, owner of Luong Tri homestay on Co To island, shared: “Having worked in tourism on Co To island for many years, I have never seen such a historic storm. Almost all the roofs of houses, kitchen areas of hotels and motels were destroyed.”
Trams and cars were badly damaged by fallen trees. The most difficult thing is that until today, September 10, the island still has no electricity, no water, and the phone signal is intermittent.
Despite the heavy damage, Mr. Hien believes that the locals only need to clean up for about 1-2 weeks before they can welcome tourists back to the tourist island. “Every day, everyone on the island cleans up together so that they can quickly welcome tourists back after the storm,” he said.
When talking about the day Typhoon Yagi swept through Co To, we cannot forget to mention the heartwarming story of Ms. Le Thi Loan, owner of Co To View Hotel. In the critical situation when Typhoon No. 3 affected the mainland, she asked everyone to share on social networks so that they could come to her hotel to take shelter and avoid the storm.
Ms. Le Thi Loan shared with Lao Dong newspaper: “When I was young, my family was very poor. When the flood happened, fortunately, the people around us helped us so there were no casualties. I am grateful to them until now, so my actions come from the heart. I try my best to help anyone I can.”
I feel sorry for the workers and those who live in rented houses that are not safe during this terrible storm No. 3. Currently, there are about 30 people coming to my hotel to avoid the storm. I serve food and necessary items for free.
Ms. Loan’s house suffered damage to the kitchen and the fourth floor’s metal roof, but most importantly, there were no casualties. “Loss of property can be recovered, but people cannot. Currently, hotels and motels on the island are rushing to repair their facilities to welcome tourists back as soon as possible,” she said.
Previously, storm No. 3 caused a power outage in the entire Co To district, with over 50 power lines falling onto the road, according to the Co To District Cultural Communication Center. By the morning of September 9, the communication system in Co To had been basically restored.
After storm No. 3, in addition to houses, offices..., many hotels, restaurants... in Ha Long suffered property damage due to heavy rain and strong winds. Many glass windows were broken, hotel signs were blown dozens of meters away by the wind, and trees were knocked down by the wind.
