On the afternoon of August 22, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired a direct and online meeting with a number of coastal localities (Hue City, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri provinces) on preparing for the response to the tropical depression that could strengthen into storm No. 5 (Kajiki) when entering the East Sea.
According to the report, due to the influence of the storm circulation in the northern and central areas of the East Sea (including Hoang Sa special zone) from tomorrow (August 23), there will be strong winds of level 6-7, then increase to level 8-9.
From August 24, strong winds will increase to level 10-11, gusting to level 13-15. Waves 4-7m high, very rough seas with thunderstorms, whirlwinds and heavy rain can sink all ships, including heavy-duty ships.
From around the night of August 24, coastal waters from Thanh Hoa to Hue will have strong winds of level 7-8, then gradually increase to level 9-10, near the storm center level 11-12, gusts of level 14-15, waves 4-6m high. Ship anchorage areas and aquaculture cages are at great risk of being affected by strong winds and big waves, especially the area from southern Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri.
Concluding the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that no matter how much effort is made, the forecast is just a forecast, so agencies must closely follow real developments and continuously update them to prevent them. Good prevention will reduce damage, while being subjective and un proactive will have huge and unpredictable consequences.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested that forecasting agencies take into account rain from upstream Laos, and have international coordination to grasp accurate and timely information.
It is predicted that it must go hand in hand with sharpening weapons, that is, the tool and model must be effective enough. Although artificial intelligence and models have been applied, if the cause of the error is not understood and not remedied, it will still be a limitation, said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Provinces and cities must develop specific plans and scenarios to respond to storm No. 5 for each region: Delta, coastal, mountainous areas. The relocation plan must be specific: in which cases are relocated people, which forces participate, and how far people are relocated.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the role of on-site forces, especially in areas at high risk and prone to isolation. Military Region 4, Military Region 5 and the Military Commands of the provinces must coordinate with localities, arrange forces in a timely manner, and support "four on-site".
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the current weakness is that when natural disasters occur, there is often a power outage and a loss of information. He requested the Standing Office of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee and related units, along with VNPT, Viettel, the army and the police, to have a backup plan from now on: Arrange generators, satellite equipment, maintain connection to communes, villages and hamlets in mountainous areas...
In particular, it is necessary to prepare according to each residential cluster in remote areas, where a commune is sometimes larger than a plain district, easily isolated when storms and floods occur.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested the development of a clear operational scenario when responding to storms. First of all, the locality is responsible for comprehensive responsibility; then the relevant ministries and branches; finally the Central Steering Committee.
Localities have the right to use the right of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister to mobilize forces when necessary. Only when it is beyond the capacity can we request support from the Central Government.
