On the afternoon of July 21, a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper recorded that in the fishing village area of Group 14, Thinh Lang Ward (old), now Hoa Binh Ward, Phu Tho Province, many households have brought floating rafts close to the shore, tying ropes tightly. Some people are still on duty to fish near Gai stream, to prevent storms and rains from washing away the rafts.
"My family raises nearly 1 ton of fish, and we have to be proactive every rainy season. All fish rafts have been moved to a safe place. I stay to look after and be ready to "run fish" if needed," said Mr. Ngo Van Son, a resident of the fishing village.
Not only worrying about the shelters, people also take advantage of going to the market early to buy food as a reserve. "Last year, storm No. 3 made landfall, with heavy rain and strong winds, the whole village had to temporarily move to the old ward cultural house. This year, hearing the forecast of possible heavy rain, I prepared early to feel more secure, said Ms. Le Thi Nhu.
However, because the market is near and goods are abundant, people only store enough to avoid waste. "This morning, I bought rice, noodles, and water to drink enough for a few days. The beets are also anchored more securely. When the heavy rain has passed, we can go out to buy more, said Mr. Ngo Van Thong, head of the fishing village.
From the morning of July 20, the Da River water level began to rise slightly, the flow became stronger. Prolonged heavy rain caused the road down to the raft house area to be slippery, but people still took the opportunity to move their necessities to a high, safe place.
Previously, the People's Committee of Hoa Binh Ward sent forces to coordinate with residential groups to each household along the river, propagate and inspect the need to tie up houses, and proactively evacuate if the water rises quickly.
"We remind people not to be subjective because we have not seen strong winds or heavy rain. Lessons from last year's storm show that situations can change very quickly, especially dangerous for people living on rafts," Mr. Ngo Van Thong added.
Currently, Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant has opened 1 bottom spillway. At 4:00 p.m. on July 21, the upstream water level of the reservoir was 100.49 m; the water flow to the reservoir reached 3,943 m3/s, the total discharge through the gates and generators was 3,936 m3/s.
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned that on the night of July 21, storm No. 3 will make landfall, causing heavy rain and strong winds in Phu Tho province and neighboring areas.
