As dawn broke on September 7th, people in the northern coastal provinces braced themselves for the strongest typhoon in three decades – Yagi . Originating from the East Sea, the super typhoon headed straight for the Gulf of Tonkin with wind gusts reaching levels 13-14.
Not long after, Quang Ninh and Hai Phong became the first places to suffer the wrath of nature.
The first few hours in Quang Ninh
At 10:00 AM on September 7th, the sea off Quang Ninh was shrouded in thick fog, obscuring the horizon. High waves crashed against the faces of fishermen still lingering at the Ha Long fish market.
Along the coastal road, only a few motorbikes could be seen hurrying towards shelter. Down at the harbor, Mr. Thanh and his wife anxiously watched their fishing boat – the family's livelihood – being tossed about by the strong wind.
Just minutes later, they realized the authorities' warning "don't stay on the boat" was justified. Typhoon Yagi made landfall with terrifying winds. The wind howled in gusts, threatening to sweep people away. The couple's boat sank right at the edge of the harbor, one of 25 boats that sank due to the typhoon in Quang Ninh, according to official statistics.
During Typhoon Yagi, being able to stand on shore and watch your boat sink was sometimes considered a stroke of luck. In Mong Cai, a fishing boat broke its anchor and drifted away, with one fisherman still on board who didn't have time to jump ashore.
Inside Ha Long City, corrugated iron roofs, unable to withstand the strong wind, were blown away, making a deafening screeching sound on the asphalt. After the corrugated iron, the glass windows of high-rise buildings were also ripped off in chunks by the wind. The wind whistling through the cracks in the windows created terrifying sounds.
While reporting in the city, a Dan Tri reporter witnessed two taxis parked at a hillside hotel being blown away by the storm winds into a ravine. A hotel guest also narrowly avoided being blown away, but was fortunately held back by a receptionist.
Quang Ninh province, after about two decades of infrastructure transformation, has just undergone an unprecedented test of the durability of its iconic structures.
Within hours, the charcoal-black stained-glass windows of the Quang Ninh Museum were shattered by the storm. Across the square, the "Dolphin Palace"—the city's most unique architectural structure—also had its aluminum roof ripped apart by the wind.
Even the entire bay, with its towering limestone cliffs, was insufficient to protect Ha Long from the terrifying winds of Typhoon Yagi. Many power poles in the city toppled. Houses had their roofs blown off en masse. Fallen trees blocked roads, causing traffic disruptions.
Electricity was cut off and phone signals were intermittent. Quang Ninh province was battered by the storm from noon until night on September 7th.
Hai Phong is in turmoil.
While the storm was sweeping through Quang Ninh, people in Hai Phong also felt the fierce winds. At noon on September 7th, the Hai Phong Department of Transport issued an order prohibiting vehicles from crossing Binh Bridge, Hoang Van Thu Bridge, Kien Bridge, Tan Vu - Lach Huyen Bridge, and Ben Rung Bridge.
From the sixth floor of an old hotel on the coast of Do Son, the reporter felt the room shaking. A section of the southwest corner wall of the hotel had collapsed, and the glass doors shattered. Wind and rain poured into the rooms through the holes.
"During a storm, the wind direction changes constantly. Initially, it's southwest, then it shifts to east, and only when the south wind blows does the storm end," the elderly security guard told the reporter.
Along Nguyen Huu Cau Street (the district's main road), trees and billboards were broken and scattered everywhere. Notably, many metal lampposts were also blown down by the wind because they were adorned with numerous advertising boxes and decorative items…
By that afternoon, electricity was cut off in many parts of Hai Phong city. Mobile phone and internet signals were also disrupted.
"Before the storm, I had prepared, moved the goods to a safe place, and reinforced the doors. However, the storm's power was too great, beyond my and everyone's imagination," shared Ms. Huong, the owner of a costume rental shop in Do Son. Her shop's roof was blown off and the roller shutter door was torn apart by the storm winds.
In the Do Son industrial zone, many factories had their roofs blown off, causing damage to goods inside. Workers gathered in front of the industrial zone's gate, unable to access their factories due to deep flooding. They could only gaze inside with anxious eyes, fearing job losses.
On the streets of Hai Phong, authorities and residents are working diligently to mitigate the aftermath of the storm. The top priority is clearing the roads to allow traffic flow, followed by cleaning up debris and collecting property blown away by the storm.
Hanoi is in chaos.
After sweeping through coastal provinces, Typhoon Yagi continued to cause significant damage in Hai Duong and Hung Yen before making landfall in Hanoi.
Even before the storm hit, Hanoi had already recorded fatalities due to falling trees following a thunderstorm. When the storm arrived, the entire city was littered with fallen trees, and another person died after being crushed by one.
At noon on September 7th, all public transportation in Hanoi, including trams and buses, ceased operation.
By the afternoon of September 7th, residents of the capital began to feel the tremendous wind force from the storm. Although it had significantly weakened after friction with the ground, the storm's wind speed was still too much for trees and many infrastructure structures in the capital to withstand.
Due to the impact of thunderstorms and heavy rain on the evening of September 7th, several areas in Hanoi experienced widespread power outages. Specifically, 12 110kV power lines were tripped due to malfunctions, with only one 110kV Xuan Mai substation experiencing a power outage, which was resolved immediately during the night of September 7th and early morning of September 8th.
In the city, several single-story houses were destroyed by the storm. Residents of apartment buildings also experienced various problems such as collapsed ceilings, shattered windows, and rainwater flooding into their homes.
According to statistics, the storm toppled 24,800 trees in Hanoi, causing 4 deaths and 17 injuries.
The devastating consequences of the once-in-30-year storm.
After the storm passed on the morning of September 8th, provinces and cities began the recovery phase. Rescue forces were deployed to the most severely affected areas to assist the people.
On the afternoon and evening of September 8th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Quang Ninh and Hai Phong to inquire about the well-being of the people and encourage the functional forces of the two provinces. Earlier, he had instructed the localities to immediately distribute reserve rice to the people, ensuring that no one goes without food, clothing, or shelter.
According to statistics as of 6 PM on September 8th, Typhoon Yagi has caused 21 deaths and injured 229 people. 8,017 houses were damaged, and 25 boats of various types sank at their moorings in Quang Ninh; Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Hai Duong, and Hanoi experienced widespread power outages and communication disruptions.
Over 120,000 hectares of rice and other crops were flooded and damaged after the storm. 5,000 hectares of fruit trees in Hai Phong, Thai Binh, and Hung Yen were damaged. Tens of thousands of trees in the North were broken or uprooted, with approximately 17,000 trees in Hanoi alone.
In Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, the aftermath of the storm is still widespread. Clearing fallen trees, damaged power poles, and cleaning the streets will take many more days.
On September 8th, the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Youth Union announced the mobilization of volunteers to support northern provinces in overcoming the consequences of Typhoon Yagi. The first 100 volunteers are expected to depart from Hue on the afternoon of September 9th.
Although Typhoon Yagi has dissipated into a tropical depression, its remnants continue to cause prolonged heavy rainfall in many northern mountainous provinces. The risk of landslides and flash floods remains very high, threatening the lives of thousands of people in vulnerable areas near mountain slopes.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Typhoon Yagi is the strongest typhoon in the South China Sea in the past 30 years.
In just 24 hours, the storm intensified by 8 levels. Normally, when passing through Hainan Island and entering the Gulf of Tonkin, storms tend to weaken quickly, but with Typhoon No. 3, its intensity did not decrease rapidly; when approaching the coast of Quang Ninh - Hai Phong, it maintained its intensity at level 12-13. The storm lingered inland for an extended period (12 hours).
The storm's path on September 7th:
– 5:00 AM: The storm's center is over the Gulf of Tonkin; 190km from Quang Ninh - Hai Phong; Category 14.
– 6:00 AM: The storm's center is 160km from the coast of Quang Ninh – Hai Phong; level 14.
– 7:00 AM: The center of Typhoon Yagi is 153km from Quang Ninh - Hai Phong; Category 14.
- 8:00 AM: The storm's center is 132km from Quang Ninh - Hai Phong, maintaining level 14 intensity.
– 10:00 AM: The storm over the sea area of Quang Ninh – Hai Phong has weakened to level 13.
– 11:30 AM: Typhoon Yagi approaches the coast of Quang Ninh – Thai Binh.
– 12 PM: The eye of Typhoon Yagi is over the sea area between Quang Ninh and Hai Phong; wind speed is level 13, gusts up to level 16.
- 13:00: The storm made landfall in Mong Cai (Quang Ninh), with winds of level 12-13, gusting to level 16.
– 3 PM: The storm's center is over land in Quang Ninh – Hai Phong. The storm maintains its wind speed (level 12-13) and movement speed (15-20 km/h).
– 4 PM: The storm's center is over land in Quang Ninh – Hai Phong. Maximum wind speeds are level 11-12, with gusts up to level 15.
– 7 PM: The storm's center is over land in Hai Duong province.
– 10 PM: The storm's center is over land in Hanoi.
Dantri.com.vn
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/hanh-trinh-tan-pha-mien-bac-cua-sieu-bao-yagi-20240909010821805.htm
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