Prime Minister's telegram on focusing on emergency response to storm No. 3

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has just signed Official Dispatch No. 87/CD-TTg dated September 5, 2024, directing ministries, branches, and localities to focus on emergency response to storm No. 3 in 2024.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Tran Song Tung and leaders of departments, branches and Kim Son district inspected the Binh Minh 3 dike to prepare response plans for storm No. 3.

Telegrams sent to Secretaries and Chairmen of the People's Committees of the following provinces and cities: Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Ha Giang, Lao Cai , Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Son La, Hoa Binh, Hanoi, Ha Nam, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang; Ministers of the following Ministries: National Defense, Public Security, Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, Transport, Construction, Foreign Affairs, Information and Communications, Education and Training, Health, Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The telegram stated: This morning (September 5, 2024), storm No. 3 strengthened into a super storm, with the strongest wind near the storm's center reaching level 16, gusting above level 17.

It is forecasted that from tomorrow morning the storm will directly affect the Gulf of Tonkin with the strongest wind near the storm center reaching level 13-14, gusting to level 16; from tomorrow night it will directly affect the mainland of the Northeast and North Central regions of our country with the strongest wind possibly reaching level 10-12, gusting to level 13-14 and affecting deep inland, the storm is likely to cause strong winds, rising water, large waves at sea and along the coast, strong winds and heavy rain over a wide area on land. Storm No. 3 is forecast to be very strong, with a high risk of natural disasters, and complex developments. The Prime Minister requests:

1. Ministers, Secretaries and Chairmen of the People's Committees of the above-mentioned localities shall focus on leading, directing, organizing inspections, urging, and implementing drastic, timely and effective measures to prevent and respond to storms in the spirit of proactive prevention and response at the highest level to ensure the safety of lives, especially of children and vulnerable groups, and minimize damage to the property of the People and the State.

2. The above-mentioned Secretaries and Chairmen of the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall postpone non-urgent meetings, mobilize the entire political system to participate, assign each comrade in the Standing Committee and Standing Committee to directly go to key areas to lead, direct, deploy, urge and inspect the work of storm and flood prevention and control, focusing on:

Carefully review and immediately deploy safety assurance work for activities at sea and on islands; ensure safety for people, boats, and vehicles operating at sea (especially boats in the Gulf of Tonkin and coastal areas from Ha Tinh outwards) and at shelters.

Ensure the safety of people's lives in dangerous areas, especially on rafts, aquaculture watchtowers, boats in shelters, areas at risk of deep flooding due to high waves, rising water, heavy rains and floods, areas at risk of landslides and flash floods that are not safe, resolutely not let people stay in dangerous areas when storms directly affect and heavy rains and floods occur (if necessary, proactively enforce evacuation to ensure people's safety).

Directing the assurance of safety of dikes, dams, and traffic safety; limiting damage to houses, warehouses, headquarters, public works, industrial parks, factories, and enterprises; protecting agricultural production; preventing flooding in urban areas and industrial parks.

Proactively deploy forces and means in key and vulnerable areas to be ready to promptly handle situations that arise during storms and floods. Review the responsibilities of heads of organizations, agencies and units that are negligent and subjective in performing the task of preventing and fighting storms and floods; strictly handle business owners, vehicles, boats and rafts that do not comply with the direction of competent authorities and forces in storm prevention and fighting.

The Secretary and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee shall be responsible before the Secretariat and the Prime Minister if they are subjective, negligent in leadership and direction, or slow in responding to storms and floods, leading to great loss of life and property.

3. The Minister of National Defense and the Minister of Public Security shall direct relevant units to urgently review and update response plans according to the level of storm risk, proactively arrange forces and means to coordinate with relevant forces to deploy storm and flood prevention and control work according to regulations; other ministries and branches, according to their assigned state management functions, shall continue to direct and seriously and effectively implement storm prevention and control work according to the direction of the Prime Minister in Official Dispatch No. 86/CD-TTg dated September 3, 2024.

4. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall organize a 24/7 duty to closely monitor the situation, proactively direct and urge localities to deploy response work in accordance with actual natural disaster developments, promptly report and propose to the Prime Minister to direct issues beyond his authority.

5. Assign Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to directly direct ministries, branches and localities to continue to promptly and effectively deploy response and recovery work for storm No. 3 and post-storm floods.