Gia Lai holds urgent meeting to discuss measures to cope with storm KALMAEGI

Photo caption — Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan spoke at the urgent meeting.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan said that the storm is forecast to directly affect Gia Lai and it is likely that Gia Lai will be in the eye of the storm. The Chairman warned that the storm could cause major flooding, even exceeding historical levels (1.5 times higher) than the largest flood in the old Binh Dinh. There is a risk of serious landslides and flash floods due to the steep slope of the area; while deep flooding in the delta areas is also a concern. The Chairman also expressed concern that after many years without major storms and floods, the political system may be complacent in responding to and preventing natural disasters.

Faced with this situation, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested localities to proactively implement the principle of storm prevention; prevent early, from afar, and upgrade storm response. First of all, it is necessary to resolutely evacuate people in landslide and flooded areas to safe places, and wait until the situation is stable before returning.

If the wards/communes do not evacuate their people and an accident occurs, the province will definitely take strict disciplinary action and remove the Secretary and Chairman from office. All accommodation and living expenses during the evacuation period (expected to be two to three days) will be supported by the provincial budget, and the people will not have to bear any expenses.

Regarding the 4 on-site readiness work, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested to change food and provisions; prioritize items such as: dry food, cakes, cereals, bottled water, etc. On-site means need to focus on water vehicles (boats), fuel ready; have people on duty in each commune and each area so that when necessary, they can mobilize and coordinate timely rescue.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan also requested the Military Command and localities to increase the use of drones to conduct reconnaissance flights to check the flood situation if an incident occurs; and at the same time, purchase 2 UAVs (unmanned cargo transport devices) to serve the rescue work.

At the same time, the Provincial Chairman also requested localities to mobilize all forces to harvest rice and crops, and have plans to protect aquaculture cages before the storm hits. The Provincial Police must immediately deploy support plans; ensure security, order, and property for people when they evacuate.

According to forecast sources, the storm is likely to cause strong winds on the sea and land of Gia Lai province. The Department of Agriculture and Environment also proposed activating a scenario to respond to level 10 storm winds.

Gia Lai province is expected to evacuate 7,011 households/24,542 people in 50 communes and wards in the eastern part of the province in a mixed manner and 950 households/3,313 people in 38 communes and wards in the eastern part of the province in a concentrated manner. The evacuation will be implemented and completed before 4:00 p.m. on November 5, 2025.