Joining hands to cope with rain, floods after storm No. 5

At noon on August 26, Hanoi still had rain and flooding.

On the morning of August 26, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment made an assessment of storm No. 5 (Kajiki). According to a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, storm No. 5 is one of the strongest and most complex storms in many years.

Before making landfall, the storm reached its maximum intensity of level 14, gusting to level 17 (equivalent to storm Yagi in September 2024). When approaching the mainland of Nghe An - Ha Tinh on the afternoon of August 25, the wind speed remained at level 11-12, gusting to level 13.

At 0:00 a.m. on August 26, the storm's center was still in the Vietnam - Laos border area, and had not weakened into a tropical depression. Photo: ZOOM EARTH

Storm No. 5 has been raging for 10 hours on our mainland. Satellite image at 0:00 on August 26.

Notably, as it moved closer to the central coast, the storm suddenly slowed down, at times almost standing still for more than 3 hours, causing its stay on land to last up to 10 hours, causing strong winds and increasing the level of destruction. This morning, August 26, the storm weakened and gradually dissipated in the central Laos region after devastating many central provinces of our country.

Record heavy rain

Mr. Pham Duc Luan, Director of the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) said that thanks to the urgent participation of the entire political system from the central to local levels, along with the proactive response of the people, the damage has been significantly reduced compared to forecasts.

Floodwaters in Nghe An province this morning, August 26, after the storm passed. Photo: SGGPO

However, the consequences of widespread heavy rain are still putting great pressure on many localities. According to observations in the past 24 hours, rainfall in many areas has reached record levels such as: Van Xuan (Thanh Hoa) 537mm, Hua Na Hydropower Plant (Nghe An) 484mm, Thuong Tuy Lake (Ha Tinh) 557mm and Van Mai (Phu Tho) 434mm. Therefore, the risk of flash floods and landslides is increasing.

Joining hands to cope with rain, floods after storms

Faced with this situation, this morning, August 26, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep signed an urgent dispatch to the People's Committees of 11 provinces: Son La, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Bac Ninh, Lang Son, Quang Ninh and provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri, requesting close monitoring of flood forecasts, early warnings for people, inspections of residential areas along rivers and streams and low-lying areas, and preparation of forces and means to respond and rescue when needed.

A tornado caused by storm No. 5 overturned trucks and blew off the roofs of 200 houses in a ward in Ninh Binh province on the night of August 25.

Localities must urgently evacuate people from dangerous areas and ensure food, clean water and necessities for people at evacuation sites. In addition, backup plans for electricity, telecommunications and information must be deployed to ensure continuity in all situations.

Hanoi streets heavily flooded on the morning of August 26

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has proposed that urgent measures should be taken to minimize the risk of damage caused by flash floods, inundation and landslides in the coming days.

ANGEL

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bat-tay-ung-pho-mua-lu-ngap-lut-sau-bao-so-5-post810210.html