Counting the damage
Heavy rains lasting from November 22 to November 24 have damaged and eroded a number of traffic and irrigation works and riverbank and coastal areas in Quang Ngai province. The heaviest damage was concentrated in Duc Pho town and Nghia Hanh district. Sharing with reporters, Mr. Nguyen Tan Phat - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Pho Minh commune, Duc Pho town, said that the heavy rains last weekend caused 69 houses in the commune to be flooded from 0.5m to over 1m. Currently, the floodwaters have receded, and people and authorities have promptly overcome the damage and stabilized their daily lives.
However, according to Mr. Phat, the most worrying thing is still the embankment of Tra Cau River in residential group 1, many sections have been seriously eroded, affecting 78 houses with 245 people. "The People's Committee of Pho Minh Ward has requested the authorities to promptly fix the landslides on the Tra Cau River bank in the section passing through the locality to avoid affecting households in residential group 1 and traffic works, community works and agricultural land of the people".
Not only did the embankment in Pho Minh commune seriously damage the embankment, but also on Provincial Road 624B, the raging floodwaters on the Ve River swept away part of the road surface in the Quan Thom Pass area in Hanh Thien commune, Nghia Hanh district, Quang Ngai province, and swept it down the river. According to the reporter's records, the landslide area stretched for about 40m.
According to Mr. Tran Phuoc Hien - Vice Chairman of Quang Ngai Provincial People's Committee, the province has directed the provincial functional departments and localities to urgently mobilize forces and means to respond to rain and floods, guide traffic at culverts, spillways, and deeply flooded roads; support the evacuation of households in low-lying areas to safety. At the same time, continue to monitor the developments of rain and floods, and be ready with forces and means to respond when situations arise.
The Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of Quang Ngai province said that localities are currently calculating damage caused by floods to report to the province.
Ready to evacuate people
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Nham Xuan Sy - Director of the Quang Ngai Hydrometeorological Station - said that currently, in the North, there is a cold air mass moving south. Around the day and night of November 26, this cold air mass will affect the Quang Ngai province. Due to the influence of strong cold air combined with the high-altitude East wind zone, from November 26 to 28, the Quang Ngai area will have moderate rain, heavy rain, and in some places very heavy rain and thunderstorms. During thunderstorms, there is a possibility of tornadoes, lightning and strong gusts of wind.
According to Mr. Nham Xuan Sy, thunderstorms accompanied by whirlwinds, lightning and strong gusts of wind can affect agricultural production, cause trees to fall, damage houses, traffic works and infrastructure. Heavy rain and localized heavy rain can cause flooding in low-lying areas; flash floods on small rivers and streams, and landslides on steep slopes.
Faced with the complicated developments of the floods, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Giang - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province - issued an urgent telegram, requesting the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of localities to proactively monitor weather information, promptly warn of heavy rain and floods in the areas so that people can take precautions. Mr. Giang also requested that mountainous districts not be negligent or subjective, urgently inspect areas at risk of landslides, flash floods... and proactively evacuate people to safety.
